Live Manifest Update

A system comprising:

• one or more modules implemented at least partially in hardware and configured to perform operations comprising:
• providing data streams of media content to computing devices to enable playback of the data streams by the computing devices;
• and
• updating a manifest associated with the data stream effective to cause the computing devices to transition to playing back the data stream using the updated manifest without restarting playback of the data stream.

A computing device comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more memories comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, perform operations comprising:
• detecting, during playback of an HTTP live streaming (HLS) data stream at the computing device, an update to a manifest associated with the HLS data stream;
• comparing the updated manifest to the manifest;
• selecting one of multiple approaches to transition to playback of the HLS data stream using the updated manifest, the selecting based on a current bitrate profile of the HLS data stream being played back by the computing device and the comparison of the updated manifest to the manifest;
• and
• transitioning, using the selected approach, to playback of the HLS data stream using the updated manifest.