Multi-source media content search

A media rendering server, comprising:

• a GUI (graphical user interface) configured to receiving a search label, the search label indicative of media content sought based on a user input request;
• a search interface for receiving, from a plurality of search sources, search results indicative of potential matches of the search label resulting from invocation of external search engines via a public access network;
• a filter for filtering the search results for search entries pertaining to renderable content;
• logic for designating, for each filtered search entry, content entries and supporting entries, the content entries indicative of stream sources of the media content and the supporting entries indicative of unitary information segments, the logic configured to determine, from among the content entries, an invoked content entry for which streaming will be performed, the invoked content entry determined based on transmission overhead;
• and
• the GUI interface coupled to a mobile device for simultaneously rendering the invoked content entry and at least a subset of the supporting entries.

A computer program product having instructions encoded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for identifying media entities, the method comprising:

• receiving a search label, the search label indicative of media content sought based on a user input request;
• receiving, from a plurality of search sources, search results indicative of potential matches of the search label resulting from invocation of external search engines;
• filtering the search results for search entries pertaining to renderable content;
• designating, for each filtered search entry, content entries and supporting entries, the content entries indicative of stream sources of the media content and the supporting entries indicative of unitary information segments;
• determining, from among the content entries, an invoked content entry for which streaming will be performed, the invoked content entry determined based on transmission overhead;
• and
• simultaneously rendering the invoked content entry and at least a subset of the supporting entries.