Fast Channel Change In A Video Delivery Network

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that when executed, control a computer system to be configured for:

• establishing a plurality of connections with an server, the plurality of connections including a first connection for playback and one or more second connections for processing a channel change;
• receiving segments of a first video from the server using the first connection in the plurality of connections, the first video being played on a first channel in a plurality of channels, wherein the one or more second connections that were established for processing the channel change are idle while the segments of the first video are received from the server;
• playing the segments of the first video;
• receiving a request to change from the first channel to a second channel in the plurality of channels;
• sending a request for at least a portion of a segment of a second video being played on the second channel to the server, wherein the request includes a channel change indicator;
• and
• receiving the at least the portion of the segment of the second video using the one or more second connections with the server, the one or more second connections being used in response to receiving the channel change indicator.

A method comprising:

• establishing, by a computing device, a plurality of connections with a client device, the plurality of connections including a first connection for playback and one or more second connections for processing a channel change;
• sending, by the computing device, segments of a first video using the first connection in the plurality of connections, the first video being played on a first channel in a plurality of channels, wherein the one or more second connections that were established for processing the channel change are idle while the segments of the first video are sent;
• receiving, by the computing device, a request for at least a portion of a segment of a second video being played on the second channel from the client device, wherein the request includes a channel change indicator;
• and
• sending, by the computing device, the at least the portion of the segment of the second video using the one or more second connections, the one or more second connections being used in response to receiving the channel change indicator.