Time shifted transcoded streaming (TSTS) system and method

A system for transmitting multimedia content from a server to a client device, comprising:

• a source multimedia retriever to retrieve source multimedia content data;
• a transcoded multimedia retriever to retrieve transcoded multimedia content data, said transcoded multimedia content data being a transcoded version of said source multimedia content, and said transcoded multimedia content data being time shifted with respect to said source multimedia content data;
• a data packet formulator to formulate a data packet comprising said source multimedia content data and said time shifted transcoded multimedia content data;
• and
• a data packet transmitter to transmit said data packet from said server to said client device.

A method of receiving multimedia content from a server at a client device, comprising:

• receiving, from said server, a data packet, said data packet comprising source multimedia content data and transcoded multimedia content data, said transcoded multimedia content data being a transcoded version of said source multimedia content data, and said transcoded multimedia content data being time shifted with respect to said source multimedia content data;
• buffering, within a data buffer at said client device, said source multimedia content data and said transcoded multimedia content data;
• if said source multimedia content data is available within said data buffer of said client device, streaming said source multimedia content data to a sensory device;
• and
• if said source multimedia content data is unavailable within said data buffer of said client device, streaming said transcoded multimedia content data to said sensory device.