Distributed on-demand media transcoding system and method

A media transcoding system for transcoding media content from a source type to a destination type, comprising:

• a network interface;
• a resource manager;
• a transmitting server;
• a streaming server;
• and
• a plurality of transcoders for transcoding from a plurality of source types to a plurality of destination types;
• wherein said network interface is adapted to receive a transcoding request for the media content, and wherein said resource manager is adapted to respond to said transcoding request and, in response to said transcoding request, to command said transmitting server to fetch the media content, to select one of said plurality of transcoders based on the source type and the destination type, to command said selected transcoder to transcode the media content from the source type to the destination type, thereby generating transcoded media content, and to command said streaming server to transmit said transcoded media content.

A media transcoding system for transcoding media content from a source type to a destination type, comprising:

• a network interface;
• a resource manager;
• a streaming server;
• and
• a plurality of transcoding servers for transcoding from a plurality of source types to a plurality of destination types;
• wherein said network interface is adapted to receive a transcoding request for the media content, and wherein said resource manager is adapted to respond to said transcoding request and, in response to said transcoding request, to select one of said plurality of transcoders based on the source type and the destination type, to command said transcoding server to fetch and transcode the media content from the source type to the destination type, thereby generating transcoded media content, and to command said streaming server to transmit said transcoded media content.

A media transcoding system for transcoding media content from a source type to a destination type, comprising:

• a plurality of transcoding means for transcoding from a plurality of source types to a plurality of destination types;
• transmitting means:
• streaming means;
• means for receiving a transcoding request;
• means for responding to said transcoding request, wherein said means for responding to said transcoding request include resource management means for commanding said transmitting means to fetch the media content, for selecting one of said plurality of transcoding means based on the source type and the destination type, for commanding said selected transcoding means to transcode the media content from the source type to the destination type, thereby generating transcoded media content, and for commanding said streaming means to transmit said transcoded media content.

A method for transcoding media content, comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a transcoding request for the media content, wherein said transcoding request includes a source type, a source location, a destination type, and a destination location;
• (b) fetching the media content from said source location in response to said transcoding request;
• (c) selecting one of a plurality of transcoders for transcoding from a plurality of source types to a plurality of destination types, wherein said one transcoder is selected based on said source type and said destination type;
• (d) sending the media content to said selected transcoder;
• (e) transcoding the media content from said source type to said destination type, thereby generating transcoded media content;
• and
• (f) transmitting said transcoded media content to said destination location.

A method for transcoding media content from a source type to a destination type, comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a request for the media content;
• (b) fetching the media content;
• (c) selecting one of a plurality of transcoders for transcoding from a plurality of source types to a plurality of destination types, wherein said one transcoder is selected based on the source type and the destination type;
• (d) sending the media content to said selected transcoder;
• (e) transcoding the media content from the source type to the destination type, thereby generating transcoded media content;
• and
• (f) transmitting said transcoded media content.

A media transcoding system for transcoding media content, comprising:

• a network interface;
• a resource manager;
• a transmitting server;
• a streaming server;
• and
• a plurality of transcoders for transcoding from a plurality of source types to a plurality of destination types;
• wherein said network interface is adapted to receive a transcoding request for the media content, wherein said transcoding request includes a source type, a source location, a destination type, and a destination location and wherein said resource manager is adapted to respond to said transcoding request and, in response to said transcoding request, to command said transmitting server to fetch the media content from said source location, to select one of said plurality of transcoders based on said source type and said destination type, to command said selected transcoder to transcode the media content from said source type to said destination type, thereby generating transcoded media content, and to command said streaming server to transmit said transcoded media content to said destination location.

A media transcoding system for transcoding media content from a source type to a destination type, comprising:

• a network interface;
• a resource manager;
• a transmitting server;
• a streaming server;
• and
• a plurality of transcoders for transcoding from a plurality of source types to a plurality of destination types;
• wherein said network interface is adapted to receive a transcoding request for the media content, and wherein said resource manager is adapted to respond to said transcoding request and, in response to said transcoding request, to command said transmitting server to fetch the media content, to select one of said plurality of transcoders based on the source type and the destination type, to command said selected transcoder to transcode the media content from the source type to the destination type, thereby generating transcoded media content, and to command said streaming server to transmit said transcoded media content.

A method for transcoding media content from a source type to a first destination type and a second destination type, comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a request for the media content;
• (b) fetching the media content;
• (c) selecting a first transcoder from a plurality of transcoders for transcoding from a plurality of source types to a plurality of destination types, wherein said first transcoder is selected based on the source type and the first destination type;
• (d) sending the media content to said first transcoder;
• (e) transcoding the media content from the source type to the first destination type, thereby generating first transcoded media content;
• (f) transmitting said first transcoded media content;
• (g) selecting a second transcoder from said plurality of transcoders, wherein said second transcoder is selected based on the source type and the second destination type;
• (h) sending the media content to said second transcoder;
• (i) transcoding the media content from the source type to the second destination type, thereby generating second transcoded media content;
• and
• (j) transmitting said second transcoded media content.

A method for transcoding a first media content from a first source type to a destination type and transcoding a second media content from a second source type to the destination type, comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a request for the first and second media content;
• (b) fetching the first and second media content;
• (c) selecting a first transcoder from a plurality of transcoders for transcoding from a plurality of source types to a plurality of destination types, wherein said first transcoder is selected based on the first source type and the destination type;
• (d) sending the first media content to said first transcoder;
• (e) transcoding the first media content from the first source type to the destination type, thereby generating first transcoded media content;
• (f) transmitting said first transcoded media content;
• (g) selecting a second transcoder from said plurality of transcoders, wherein said second transcoder is selected based on the second source type and the destination type;
• (h) sending the second media content to said second transcoder;
• (i) transcoding the second media content from the second source type to the destination type, thereby generating second transcoded media content;
• and
• (j) transmitting said second transcoded media content.

A media transcoding system for transcoding media content from a source type to a first destination type and a second destination type, comprising:

• a resource manager;
• a first and second transmitting server;
• a first and second streaming server;
• and
• a plurality of transcoders for transcoding from a plurality of source types to a plurality of destination types;
• wherein said resource manager is adapted to command said first transmitting server to fetch the media content, to select a first transcoder from said plurality of transcoders based on the source type and the first destination type, to command said first transcoder to transcode the media content from the source type to the first destination type, thereby generating first transcoded media content, to command said first streaming server to transmit said first transcoded media content, to command said second transmitting server to fetch the media content, to select a second transcoder from said plurality of transcoders based on the source type and the second destination type, to command said second transcoder to transcode the media content from the source type to the second destination type, thereby generating second transcoded media content, and to command said second streaming server to transmit said second transcoded media content.

A media transcoding system for transcoding a first media content from a first source type to a destination type and for transcoding a second media content from a second source type to the destination type, comprising:

• a resource manager;
• a first and second transmitting server;
• a first and second streaming server;
• and
• a plurality of transcoders for transcoding from a plurality of source types to a plurality of destination types;
• wherein said resource manager is adapted to command said first transmitting server to fetch the first media content, to select a first transcoder from said plurality of transcoders based on the first source type and the destination type, to command said first transcoder to transcode the media content from the first source type to the destination type, thereby generating first transcoded media content, to command said first streaming server to transmit said first transcoded media content, to command said second transmitting server to fetch the second media content, to select a second transcoder from said plurality of transcoders based on the second source type and the destination type, to command said second transcoder to transcode the second media content from the second source type to the destination type, thereby generating second transcoded media content, and to command said second streaming server to transmit said second transcoded media content.