Methods, devices and computer programs for transmitting or for receiving and playing media streams

A method, carried out by a transmitting device for transmitting a media stream, the method including:

• transmitting, through a communication medium or network, a media stream for playing on at least one receiving and playing device;
• and
• transmitting, in the transmitted media stream or in data transmitted along with the transmitted media stream, an indicator indicating that a media content susceptible of having a local match being already locally stored on the at least one receiving and playing device is about to be transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted or being transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted, wherein
• meta information is sent along with the transmitted media stream, the meta information enabling the at least one receiving and playing device to determine whether a local match for a media content about to be transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted or being transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted is locally stored.

A receiving and playing device for receiving and playing a media stream, the device including:

• a first playing unit configured for receiving a media stream through a communication medium or network and for playing the received media stream;
• and
• a playing mode switching unit configured for determining, at the time when the first playing unit receives the media stream and plays it, whether a local match for a media content about to be received as part of the media stream received and played by the first playing unit or being received as part of the media stream received and played by the first playing unit is found to be locally stored, the determination comprising using (i) meta information sent along with the media stream received and played by the first playing unit and (ii) local content information, to assess whether a local match of the media content is found, and, if so, for switching from a mode in which the first playing unit is activated to a mode in which a second playing unit is activated, the second playing unit configured for playing the media content based on at least the locally stored media content, this involving obtaining, from a network side server, a timestamp indicating the starting time of the media content;
• and playing the media content based on at least the locally stored media content, starting at the obtained timestamp or continuing to play the media content as if the locally stored media content started at the obtained timestamp.

A transmitting device for transmitting a media stream, the transmitting device including:

• a first transmitting unit configured for transmitting, through a communication medium or network, a media stream for playing on at least one receiving and playing device;
• and
• a second transmitting unit configured for transmitting, in the transmitted media stream or in data transmitted along with the transmitted media stream, an indicator indicating that a media content susceptible of being already locally stored on the at least one receiving and playing device is about to be transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted or being transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted, wherein
• the transmitting device is configured such that meta information is sent along with the transmitted media stream, the meta information enabling the at least one receiving and playing device to determine whether a local match for a media content about to be transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted or being transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted is locally stored.