Synchronous Video Content Collaboration Across Multiple Clients in a Distributed Collaboration System

A system including one or more processors including or having access to memory loaded with computer instructions to synchronize playback of a video at a plurality of client-side nodes in a network including a server in one or more server-side nodes and the plurality of client-side nodes, the instructions, when executed on the one or more processors, implement actions comprising:

• storing an index table of relative display times to frame numbers for the video accessible to the server;
• receiving a play video message at the server from a first client-side node identifying a play video event including a play event time to start play of a video at the first client-side node;
• mapping the play event time using the index table at the server to a starting frame identifier including a frame number, wherein said mapping includes using the index table to map the play event time to the starting frame identifier;
• and
• sending a follower play video message from the server to a follower set of one or more other client-side nodes including the starting frame identifier, in response to which the one or more other client-side nodes in the follower set can start playing the video at a frame corresponding to the starting frame identifier;
• and
• receiving a sync video message at the server from the first client-side node identifying a sync event time for synchronizing playback of the video, the sync event time identifying a specific time within the video;
• mapping, using the index table at the server, the sync event time identifying the specific time within the video to a sync frame identifier identifying a frame number within the video;
• and
• sending a follower sync video message from the server to a follower set of one or more other client-side nodes including the sync frame identifier, in response to which the one or more other client-side nodes in the follower set can synchronize playing the video at the frame corresponding to the sync frame identifier.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium impressed with computer program instructions to synchronize playback of a video at a plurality of client-side nodes in a network including a server in one or more server-side nodes and the plurality of client-side nodes, the instructions, when executed implement a method comprising:

• storing an index table of relative display times to frame numbers for the video accessible to the server;
• receiving a play video message at the server from a first client-side node identifying a play video event including a play event time to start play of a video at the first client-side node;
• mapping the play event time using the index table at the server to a starting frame identifier including a frame number, wherein said mapping includes using the index table to map the play event time to the starting frame identifier;
• and
• sending a follower play video message from the server to a follower set of one or more other client-side nodes including the starting frame identifier, in response to which the one or more other client-side nodes in the follower set can start playing the video at a frame corresponding to the starting frame identifier;
• and
• receiving a sync video message at the server from the first client-side node identifying a sync event time for synchronizing playback of the video, the sync event time identifying a specific time within the video;
• mapping, using the index table at the server, the sync event time identifying the specific time within the video to a sync frame identifier identifying a frame number within the video;
• and
• sending a follower sync video message from the server to a follower set of one or more other client-side nodes including the sync frame identifier, in response to which the one or more other client-side nodes in the follower set can synchronize playing the video at the frame corresponding to the sync frame identifier.