Enhanced streaming media playback

A computer system for playing back video content, the system comprising:

• a processor for executing computer program instructions;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions executable to perform operations comprising:
• detecting, by a proxy server, a request in a first file format for a video from a media player to a content sharing service;
• modifying, by the proxy server, the request from the first file format to a second file format, streaming data in the second file format requiring less bandwidth for transmitting the streaming data from the content sharing service than required in the first file format;
• providing, by the proxy server on behalf of the media player, the modified request for the video, to the content sharing service;
• receiving, by the proxy server, streaming data associated with the video in the second file format from the content sharing service in response to the modified request;
• generating, by the proxy server, a manifest file based on the received streaming data associated with the video received from the content sharing service, the manifest file comprising a plurality of media playlists associated with the requested video, each media playlist of the plurality of media playlists identifying a representation of the requested video in a particular visual quality and including a plurality of video segments for the representation of the requested video;
• providing, by the proxy server, the manifest file to the media player;
• and
• responsive to the media player fetching a video segment of the requested video, determining, by the proxy server, a representation of the requested video to choose from the plurality of the media playlists.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions for playing back video content, the computer program instructions executable to perform operations comprising:

• detecting, by a proxy server, a request in a first file format for a video from a media player to a content sharing service;
• modifying, by the proxy server, the request from the first file format to a second file format, streaming data in the second file format requiring less bandwidth for transmitting the streaming data from the content sharing service than required in the first file format;
• providing, by the proxy server on behalf of the media player, the modified request for the video, to the content sharing service;
• receiving, by the proxy server, streaming data associated with the video in the second file format from the content sharing service in response to the modified request;
• generating, by the proxy server, a manifest file based on the received streaming data associated with the video received from the content sharing service, the manifest file comprising a plurality of media playlists associated with the requested video, each media playlist of the plurality of media playlists identifying a representation of the requested video in a particular visual quality and including a plurality of video segments for the representation of the requested video;
• providing, by the proxy server, the manifest file to the media player;
• and
• responsive to the media player fetching a video segment of the requested video, determining, by the proxy server, a representation of the requested video to choose from the plurality of the media playlists.