Channel Change Method and Apparatus

A channel change method, applied to an Over The Top (OTT) video service, wherein the method comprises:

• sending a channel change instruction;
• stopping obtaining a media file of a currently played channel;
• requesting a playlist of a first channel from a server, wherein the first channel is a new channel that is a change target and that is indicated by the channel change instruction;
• receiving the playlist of the first channel;
• and
• performing channel change according to the playlist of the first channel, a main stream, and a sub stream, wherein the main stream and the sub stream are obtained by separately encoding a live stream of the first channel in different coding manners.

A server supporting channel change, applied to an Over The Top (OTT) video service, wherein the server comprises a transmit port, a receive port, a bus, at least one processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor, the bus is configured to connect the transmit port, the receive port, the at least one processor, and the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium;

• wherein the receive port is configured to receive a live stream of a first channel, wherein the live stream of the first channel comprises N media file sets;
• wherein the programming instructions instruct the at least one processor to separately encode the live stream of the first channel in different coding manners, to generate both a main stream and a sub stream, wherein the main stream comprises the N media file sets and main stream coding information, the sub stream comprises the N media file sets and sub stream coding information, the main stream is used for live broadcast, and the sub stream is used for channel change;
• wherein the programming instructions further instruct the at least one processor to generate a playlist of the first channel according to channel information of the first channel, the main stream coding information, and the sub stream coding information, wherein the playlist, in response to that a client sends a channel change instruction, instructs the client to perform channel change according to the main stream and the sub stream;
• and
• wherein the transmit port is configured to send the playlist of the first channel.

A terminal supporting channel change, applied to an OTT video service, wherein the terminal comprises a transmitter, a receiver, at least one processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor;

• the transmitter is configured to:
• send a channel change instruction, and stop obtaining a media file of a currently played channel;
• the transmitter is further configured to send a request to a server, wherein the request requests a playlist of a first channel, and the first channel is a new channel that is a change target and that is indicated by the channel change instruction;
• the receiver is configured to receive the playlist of the first channel;
• and
• the programming instructions instruct the at least one processor to perform channel change according to the playlist of the first channel, a main stream, and a sub stream, wherein the main stream and the sub stream are obtained by separately encoding a live stream of the first channel in different coding manners.