Checkpoints for media buffering

An apparatus for media playback, comprising:

• a communication interface to receive information about a media file, the information representative of one or more elapsed time points of a plurality of elapsed time points corresponding to buffer checkpoints in playback of the media file;
• a storage device to hold a buffer;
• and
• a media player coupled to the communication interface and the storage device, the media player to:
• determine an amount of the media file that has been cached in a buffer on the computing device,
• determine, prior to commencing playback of a portion of the media file between a first of the elapsed time points and a second of the elapsed time points following the first elapsed time point, whether the amount of the media file cached in the buffer includes the portion of the media file, and
• in response to determining that the amount of the media file cached in the buffer does not include the portion of the media file, increase the amount of the media file cached in the buffer to include the portion of the media file before commencing playback of the portion of the media file.

An apparatus for media playback, comprising:

• an input device;
• a display device;
• a storage device to store a media file;
• and
• computational logic coupled to the input device, the display device and the storage device, the computational logic to:
• provide the media file, from the storage device, for playback on the display device,
• receive an input, from the input device, representative of a selection of one or more buffer checkpoints for the media file, the buffer checkpoints corresponding to one or more elapsed time points in playback of the media file, and
• annotate the media file with information representative of the one or more elapsed time points in playback of the media file corresponding to the selected one or more buffer checkpoints.

One or more computer readable media having instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processing devices of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

• receive information about a media file, the information representative of one or more elapsed time points of a plurality of elapsed time points corresponding to buffer checkpoints in playback of the media file;
• determine an amount of the media file that has been cached in a buffer on the computing device;
• determine, prior to commencing playback of a portion of the media file between a first of the elapsed time points and a second of the elapsed time points following the first elapsed time point, whether the amount of the media file cached in the buffer includes the portion of the media file;
• and
• in response to determining that the amount of the media file cached in the buffer does not include the portion of the media file, increase the amount of the media file cached in the buffer to include the portion of the media file before commencing playback of the portion of the media file.

One or more computer readable media having instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processing devices of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

• provide a media file;
• receive an input representative of a selection of one or more buffer checkpoints for the media file, the buffer checkpoints corresponding to one or more elapsed time points in playback of the media file;
• and
• annotate the media file with information representative of the one or more elapsed time points in playback of the media file corresponding to the selected one or more buffer checkpoints, for use during playback of the media file.