Reduced video player start-up latency in HTTP live streaming and similar protocols

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor, the instructions for processing an ordered sequence of frames of a media program, the media program formatted at least in part in a streaming format, the instructions when executed by the processor causing the processor to:

• segment a first ordered subset of frames of the ordered sequence into a plurality of segments;
• create a first manifest file based on the first ordered subset of frames, the manifest file comprising pointers to the plurality of segments;
• responsive to receiving a request from the media playing device, transmitting the first manifest file to the media playing device;
• concurrently to at least one of creating the first manifest file and the media playing device playing the first ordered subset of frames, converting a second ordered subset of frames of the ordered sequence into the streaming format, wherein a playing time of the first ordered subset of frames on the media playing device is at least equal to a converting time to convert the second ordered subset of frames to the streaming format;
• creating a second manifest file based on the converted second ordered subset of frames;
• and
• transmitting the second manifest file to the media playing device, wherein the media playing device plays the converted second ordered subset of frames based on the second manifest file after playing the first ordered subset of frames.

A system for processing an ordered sequence of frames of a media program, the media program formatted at least in part in a streaming format, the system comprising:

• a processor, and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
• segment a first ordered subset of frames of the ordered sequence into a plurality of segments;
• creating a first manifest file based on the first ordered subset of frames, the manifest file comprising pointers to the plurality of segments;
• responsive to receiving a request from the media playing device, transmitting the first manifest file to the media playing device;
• concurrently to at least one of creating the first manifest file and the media playing device playing the first ordered subset of frames, converting a second ordered subset of frames of the ordered sequence into a streaming format, wherein a playing time of the first ordered subset of frames on the media playing device is at least equal to a converting time to convert the second ordered subset of frames to the streaming format;
• creating a second manifest file based on the converted second ordered subset of frames;
• and
• transmitting the second manifest file to the media playing device, wherein the media playing device plays the converted second ordered subset of frames based on the second manifest file after playing the first ordered subset of frames.

A computer-implemented method for processing an ordered sequence of frames of a media program, the media program comprising content and at least one pre-roll ad, the media program for play in a media playing device operative to play the program from a streaming format, the method comprising:

• determining whether to process the media program using a single manifest approach or a multiple manifest approach, the single manifest approach utilizing a single manifest file for the media program and the multiple manifest approach using two or more manifest files for the media program, the determining based on estimated latencies associated with each of the single manifest approach and the multiple manifest approach;
• responsive to the determining to process the media program using the multiple manifest approach:
• segmenting a first ordered subset of frames of the ordered sequence into a plurality of segments;
• creating a manifest file based on the first ordered subset of frames, the manifest file comprising pointers to the plurality of segments;
• responsive to receiving a request from a media playing device, transmitting the first manifest file to the media playing device;
• concurrently to creating the first manifest file and the media player playing the first ordered subset of frames, converting a second ordered subset of frames of the ordered sequence into a streaming format, wherein the playing time of the first ordered subset of frames on the media player is at least equal to a converting time to convert the second ordered subset of frames;
• creating a second manifest file based on the converted second ordered subset of frames;
• and
• responsive to the request from the media playing device, transmitting the second manifest file to the media playing device that received the first manifest file, wherein the media playing device plays the converted ordered subset of frames on the media player after playing the first ordered subset of frames.