Adaptive video server with virtual file system and methods for use therewith

A streaming server comprising:

• a virtual file system that stores playlist data corresponding to a plurality of video programs available from at least one video source and that further stores variant playlist data corresponding to each of the plurality of video programs that indicates a plurality of bit rates for streaming each of the plurality of video programs;
• a network interface, coupled to bidirectionally communicate with a client device and to bidirectionally communicate with the at least one video source via at least one network;
• a video encoder;
• a command handler, coupled to the network interface, the video encoder, the context data generator and the virtual file system, that operates by:
• receiving a request for a selected one of the plurality of video programs from the client device via the network interface;
• retrieving the selected one of the plurality of video programs from the at least one video source via the network interface in response to the request and segments and encodes the selected one of the plurality of video programs into a plurality of encoded segments via the video encoder, based on at least one encoding parameter that is adjusted in response to context data relating to the streaming session for the selected one of the plurality of video programs.