Systems and methods for bridging and managing media content associated with separate media content networks

A method comprising:

• generating, by a computing device located within a local media content network, a media index of local media content stored by one or more media content access devices located within the local media content network and cloud media content stored by one or more cloud computing devices within a cloud media content network;
• and
• managing, by the computing device based on the media index and on a predefined media management heuristic, the local media content and the cloud media content, wherein the managing comprises at least one of
• funneling media content included in at least one of the local media content and the cloud media content between the local media content network and the cloud media content network,
• funneling media content included in the local media content between the media content access devices via the local media content network,
• transcoding media content included in at least one of the local media content and the cloud media content,
• upscaling or downscaling media content included in at least one of the local media content and the cloud media content,
• deleting media content included in at least one of the local media content and the cloud media content,
• enforcing content access rights of media content included in at least one of the local media content and the cloud media content, and
• managing content access rights of media content included in at least one of the local media content and the cloud media content.

An apparatus comprising:

• an indexing facility configured to
• generate a media index of local media content stored by one or more media content access devices located within a local media content network and cloud media content stored by one or more cloud computing devices located within a cloud media content service network, and
• generate a device index of the one or more media content access devices located within the local media content network;
• a storage facility communicatively coupled to the indexing facility and configured to store data representative of the media index, the device index, and a predefined media management heuristic;
• and
• a media management facility communicatively coupled to the storage facility and configured to manage the local media content and the cloud media content based on the media index, the predefined media management heuristic, and the device index, wherein the managing comprises:
• receiving, from a requesting device, a request for a media content instance included in at least one of the local media content and the cloud media content;
• determining, based on the device index, one or more attributes of the requesting device;
• determining, based on the one or more attributes of the requesting device and the predefined media management heuristic, one or more preferred attributes of media content;
• identifying, based on the one or more attributes of media content, the media index, and the predefined media management heuristic, an available copy of the requested media content instance that best fits the request;
• and
• facilitating access by the requesting device to the identified copy of the media content instance.

A system comprising:

• at least one computing device located within a local media content network, the at least one computing device configured to
• generate a media index of local media content stored by one or more media content access devices located within the local media content network and cloud media content stored by one or more cloud computing devices located within a cloud media content service network,
• generate a device index of the one or more media content access devices located within the local media content network, and
• manage the local media content and the cloud media content based on the media index, a predefined media management heuristic, and the device index, wherein the managing comprises:
• receiving, from a requesting device, a request for a media content instance included in at least one of the local media content and the cloud media content;
• determining, based on the device index, one or more attributes of the requesting device;
• determining, based on the one or more attributes of the requesting device and the predefined media management heuristic, one or more preferred attributes of media content;
• identifying, based on the one or more attributes of media content, the media index, and the predefined media management heuristic, an available copy of the requested media content instance that best fits the request;
• and
• facilitating access by the requesting device to the identified copy of the media content instance.