Systems and methods for generating targeted manifest files

A computerized system for dynamically generating a targeted manifest file for use by a playback device to retrieve a video stream including targeted content, comprising:

• a content publishing system configured to periodically receive a manifest file from a transcoding system, the manifest file identifying a sequence of media files that constitute a portion of a video stream, wherein the content publishing system is configured to:
• update a master manifest file to identify the sequence of media files from each periodically received index file, such that the master manifest file identifies a continuous master sequence of media files that constitute the video stream;
• and
• upon request from a playback device, generate a targeted manifest file from the continuous master sequence of media files, the targeted manifest file identifying a custom sequence of media files that includes targeted content, wherein one or more consecutive media files identified in the continuous master sequence of media files are substituted with a different number of targeted media files in the custom sequence of media files.

A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer readable storage device, for dynamically generating a targeted manifest file for use by a playback device to retrieve a video stream including targeted content, comprising instructions being executable to cause a computer to:

• periodically receive a manifest file that identifies a sequence of media files, the sequence of media files constituting a portion of a video stream;
• update a master manifest file to identify the sequence of media files from each periodically received index file, such that the master manifest file identifies a continuous master sequence of media files that constitute the video stream;
• and
• upon request from a playback device, generate a targeted manifest file from the continuous master sequence of media files, the targeted manifest file identifying a custom sequence of media files that includes targeted content, wherein one or more consecutive media files identified in the continuous master sequence of media files are substituted with a different number of targeted media files in the custom sequence of media files.