System and method for perspective switching during video access

A system comprising:

• a video hosting subsystem configured to access a database comprising a plurality of video streams, wherein the video hosting subsystem comprises a processor for processing data associated with the video streams and memory for storing data, wherein the processor is configured to:
• receive a user request, from a user, to access a primary video stream from a video hosting service, wherein the video hosting service comprises the database that includes video streams of captured video content uploaded by a plurality of users;
• search metadata of video streams, other than the primary video stream, in the database of the video hosting service;
• identify, based on the searching, video streams captured at a defined distance range of a location of the primary video stream;
• determine a subset of video streams from the identified video streams captured at least partially within a time window of the primary video stream, the time window comprising a predefined time interval on either side of a start time and an end time of the primary video stream;
• identify, in the subset of video streams, based a facial recognition identifier in metadata associated with at least one video in the subset of video streams, at least one video stream in which a person specified in the user request appears;
• select, from the identified at least one video streams in which the person specified in the user request appears, an alternative video stream;
• provide the user with access to the primary video stream, together with an option to access the alternative video stream;
• determine that an end of the primary video stream has been reached;
• switch, in response to the determining that the end of the primary video stream has been reached, to a video frame of the alternative video stream that substantially corresponds to a point in time of a video frame of the primary video stream accessed by the user at the time of selection, wherein the alternative video stream extends in time beyond the primary video stream;
• and
• display the alternative video stream beginning at the switched-to video frame of the alternative video stream.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable hardware storage device having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

• receive a user request, from a user, to access a primary video stream from a video hosting service, wherein the video hosting service comprises a database that includes video streams of captured video content uploaded by a plurality of users;
• search metadata of video streams, other than the primary video stream, in the database of the video hosting service;
• identify, based on the searching, video streams captured at a defined distance range of a location of the primary video stream;
• determine a subset of video streams from the identified video streams captured at least partially within a time window of the primary video stream, the time window comprising a predefined time interval on either side of a start time and an end time of the primary video stream;
• identify, in the subset of video streams, based on face tags in metadata associated with at least one video in the subset of video streams, at least one video stream in which a person specified in the user request appears;
• select, from the identified at least one video streams in which the person specified in the user request appears, an alternative video stream;
• provide the user with access to the selected primary video stream, together with an option to access the alternative video stream;
• determine that an end of the primary video stream has been reached;
• switch, in response to the determining that the end of the primary video stream has been reached, to a video frame of the alternative video stream that substantially corresponds to a point in time of a video frame of the primary video stream accessed by the user at the time of selection, wherein the alternative video stream extends in time beyond the primary video stream;
• and
• display the alternative video stream beginning at the switched-to video frame of the alternative video stream.