Method, system, and article of manufacture for integrating streaming content and a real time interactive dynamic user interface over a network

A system, comprising:

• a first processing device having a web browser;
• a data store for storing information;
• and, a second processing device coupled to the first processing device and the data store, for providing the first processing device with a displayed user interface and a streaming media file having an embedded metadata time code;
• wherein the user interface detects the embedded metadata time code during a streaming media file download to the first processing device and, wherein the second processing device creates a Common Gateway Interface process for retrieving the information from the data store which is used to alter the displayed user interface;
• wherein at least a portion of the information in the data store is changed while the user interface is displayed without changing the embedded metadata time code in the streaming media file.

An article of manufacture, including a computer readable memory, comprising:

• a first software program for providing content to a client;
• a second software program for providing streaming media to a client;
• a third software program for detecting an embedded metadata time code in the streaming media;
• and a fourth software program for accessing a memory location in a data store responsive to the embedded metadata time code, wherein the embedded metadata time code includes a format having a process identification, a variable and a target destination;
• wherein the data store includes information stored at the memory location, the information being dynamically changeable without re-encoding and/or reindexing the streaming media while the streaming media is provided to the client.

A method for obtaining streaming content from a processing device network, comprising the steps of:

• downloading a streaming media file having an embedded metadata time code;
• detecting the embedded metadata time code;
• passing a segment of the embedded metadata time code to a Common Gateway Interface process;
• accessing a database using the segment of the embedded metadata time code;
• downloading information stored in the database;
• and changing at least a portion of the information in the database while leaving the embedded metadata time code unchanged.