Apparatus and methods for time mapping media segments in streaming media files

A method comprising:

• causing transmission, by a network server, of a multimedia presentation description to a client device in response to a request for media content by said client device;
• causing transmission of a first media segment of a first representation of the media content to the client device;
• causing transmission of time mapping information to the client device, wherein the time mapping information maps at least one media segment of a respective representation of the media content to a corresponding presentation time;
• and
• causing transmission of a second media segment of a respective representation of the media content to the client device, wherein the second media segment corresponds to the mapped presentation time,
• wherein each representation is independently accessible as a set of media segments, and
• wherein the presentation time comprises a point along a timeline of the media content.

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one processor, and
• at least one memory including computer executable program code, the at least one memory and the computer executable program code working with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
• cause presentation of a first media segment of a first representation of a selected media content file;
• determine at least one of a desired time point or a desired second representation of the selected media content file, wherein the desired time point is a point along a timeline of the media content file;
• identify a second media segment associated with the determined at least one of the desired time point or the desired second representation;
• and
• retrieve the second media segment from a network server for presentation
• wherein each of the first and second representations is independently accessible as a set of media segments,
• wherein the first representation includes at least the first media segment and the second media segment in an instance in which only the desired time point is determined, and
• wherein the first representation includes at least the first media segment and the second representation includes at least the second media segment in an instance in which the desired second representation is determined.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor, and
• at least one memory including computer executable program code, the at least one memory and the computer executable program working with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
• cause transmission of a multimedia presentation description to a client device in response to a request for media content by said client device;
• cause transmission of a first media segment of a first representation of the media content to the client device;
• cause transmission of time mapping information to the client device, wherein the time mapping information maps at least one media segment of a respective representation of the media content to a corresponding presentation time;
• and
• cause transmission of a second media segment of a respective representation of the media content to the client device, wherein the second media segment corresponds to the mapped presentation time,
• wherein each representation is independently accessible as a set of media segments, and
• wherein the presentation time comprises a point along a timeline of the media content.