Transcoding content for maximizing playback abilities in a switch enabled device

A network device for managing delivery of content over a network, comprising:

• a transceiver to send and receive data over the network;
• and
• a processor that is operative to perform actions, including:
• receiving a request for content, wherein the request is associated with a unique device identifier of a consumer electronic device, for which the content is to be provided;
• receiving a set of device capabilities for the consumer electronic device, wherein the set of capabilities includes a rank ordering by quality level of a plurality of sets of content characteristics playable by the consumer electronic device, the plurality of sets including at least a minimum quality set, a maximum quality set, and at least one other set of content characteristics for a defined best set of capabilities, each content characteristic set having a plurality of characteristics about the content;
• comparing a plurality of native format characteristics of the requested content to the best set of capabilities;
• iteratively transcoding, based on a result of the comparing, at least one content characteristic of the requested content that is identified within the set of capabilities towards one of the sets of content characteristics, and constraining each defined content characteristic within the requested content at or within minimum and maximum limits defined by the minimum and maximum sets of content characteristics;
• and
• providing the transcoded content over the network to the consumer electronic device.

A system for use in managing delivery of content over a network, comprising:

• a consumer electronic device that is configured and arranged to perform actions, including:
• sending a device identifier over the network, wherein the device identifier is unique to the consumer electronic device;
• providing over the network a set of capabilities for the consumer electronic device, wherein the set of capabilities includes a plurality of different sets of content characteristics for a defined set of characteristics of content, wherein the plurality includes at least a minimum and a maximum set of content characteristics and one other set of content characteristics for a defined best set of capabilities;
• and
• providing a request for content over the network;
• and
• a switch proxy service component that is configured and arranged to perform actions, including:
• receiving the request for content;
• receiving the unique device identifier, and determining based on the unique device identifier if the consumer electronic device is valid for receiving the requested content;
• if the consumer electronic device is valid, comparing a plurality of native format characteristics of the requested content to the best set of capabilities;
• if the consumer electronic device is valid, iteratively transcoding, based on a result of the comparing, at least one content characteristic of the requested content identified within the set of capabilities towards one of the plurality of sets of content characteristics, while constraining each defined content characteristic within the requested content at or between minimum and maximum limits defined by the minimum and maximum sets of content characteristics;
• and
• providing the transcoded content over the network to the consumer electronic device.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store data and instructions thereon, wherein the execution of the instructions on computing device enable the computing device to perform actions for managing content delivery over a network, comprising:

• receiving a set of device capabilities for a consumer electronic device, wherein the set of capabilities includes a rank ordered listing of a plurality of sets of content characteristics for content playable by the consumer electronic device, the rank ordered listing including at least a minimum and a maximum set of content characteristics and at least one other set of content characteristics for a defined best set of capabilities, wherein the minimum set includes minimum limits for each content characteristic identified in the set, and the maximum set includes maximum limits for each content characteristic identified in the set, each content characteristic set having a plurality of characteristics about the content;
• receiving a request for content to be accessed by the consumer electronic device;
• comparing a plurality of native format characteristics of the requested content to the best set of capabilities
• iteratively transcoding, based on a result of the comparing, at least one characteristic of the requested content that is identified within the defined set of capabilities towards one of the sets of content characteristics, and maintaining each defined content characteristic within the requested content at or between the minimum and maximum limits defined within the minimum set of content characteristics and the maximum set of content characteristics, respectively;
• and
• providing the transcoded content over the network to the consumer electronic device.