Video viewing responsive to content and time restrictions

A method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a restriction with respect to a time that video programs may be played;
• preestablishing a content preference for a level of explicitness in each of a plurality of video content categories, the preestablishing permitting the application of the content preference in a playing of a plurality of video programs;
• selecting, responsive to the time restriction, segments of a video program by applying the content preference to segment information directly defining at least one segment within the video program, the defining being responsive to a level of explicitness in each of the plurality of video content categories;
• and
• playing, without requiring an alternate source of video, the selected segments as a seamless version of, from within, and less in length than the length of, the video program, the playing comprising buffering sufficient video information to enable a random accessing to seamlessly skip over at least one non-selected segment included within the video program.

An apparatus capable of playing a version of a video program from a video program source providing (1) a video program including within a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, each parallel segment comprising a sequence of video frames, (2) a user interface, particular to the video program, for a user of the video program to establish a content preference, and (3) data, not prepared by the user of the video program, directly defining a plurality of segments within the video program, the apparatus comprising:

• time restricting means for establishing a restriction with respect to a time that video programs may be played;
• preferencing means for enabling the user of the video program to establish a content preference by utilizing the user interface;
• selecting means for selecting, for the user, segments from within the video program by applying the content preference to the data, the selected segments including only one parallel segment from the set of parallel segments;
• and
• playing means for playing, without requiring an alternate source of video, the selected segments as a seamless version of, from within, and less in length than the length of, the video program, the playing comprising buffering sufficient video information to enable a random accessing to seamlessly skip over at least one non-selected segment included within the video program.

A method for playing a version of a video program from a video program source providing (1) a video program including within a set of parallel segments that provide for at least two versions of a scene, each parallel segment comprising a sequence of video frames, (2) a user interface, particular to the video program, for a user of the video program to establish a content preference, and (3) data, not prepared by the user of the video program, directly defining a plurality of segments within the video program, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a restriction with respect to a time that video programs may be played;
• enabling the user of the video program to establish a content preference by utilizing the user interface;
• selecting, for the user, segments from within the video program by applying the content preference to the data, the selected segments including only one parallel segment from the set of parallel segments;
• and
• playing, without requiring an alternate source of video, the selected segments as a seamless version of, from within, and less in length than the length of, the video program, the playing comprising buffering sufficient video information to enable a random accessing to seamlessly skip over at least one non-selected segment included within the video program.