Play-out control for a media data stream

A method for controlling play-out of a media data stream at a receiving device, the media data stream comprising one or more programs, each program comprising one or more program components, the method comprising

• receiving the media data stream comprising a program specific information data segment, the program specific information data segment comprising data specifying information regarding at least one program of said one or more programs or at least one program component of said one or more program components in the media data stream, the program specific information data segment also having associated therewith a zone description defined for said at least one program or for said at least one program component, the zone description identifying a media zone for said at least one program or said at least one program component in the media data stream, wherein the media zone is a segment of the media data stream that has special properties, wherein the media data stream is a transport stream according to the Moving Pictures Expert Group-2 (MPEG-2) transport stream format,
• detecting in the media data stream the program specific information data segment comprising the zone description, wherein the program specific information data segment is a Program Map Table (PMT) of the transport stream, wherein the zone description is included in a private table of the transport stream, and wherein the PMT is associated with the private table and the zone description included therein via a first Packet Identifier (PID),
• based upon an analysis of the zone description, identifying the media zone and determining a play-out control instruction for play-out of the media zone, and
• playing-out the identified media zone according to the determined play-out control instruction.

A sending device for controlling play-out of a media data stream at a receiving device, the media data stream comprising one or more programs, each program comprising one or more program components, the sending device comprising

• a processing circuit configured to:
• define, for at least one program of said one or more programs or at least one program component of said one or more program components in the media data stream, a zone description that identifies a media zone for said at least one program or said at least one program component in the media data stream, wherein the media zone is a segment of the media data stream that has special properties, wherein the media data stream is a transport stream according to the Moving Pictures Expert Group-2 (MPEG-2) transport stream format,
• associate the zone description with a program specific information data segment, the program specific information data segment being a part of the media data stream and comprising data specifying information regarding said at least one program or said at least one program component, wherein the program specific information data segment is a Program Map Table (PMT) of the transport stream, wherein the zone description is included in a private table of the transport stream, and wherein the PMT is associated with the private table and the zone description included therein via a first Packet Identifier (PID), and
• a transmission circuit configured to transmit the media data stream towards the receiving device.

A receiving device for controlling play-out of a media data stream at the receiving device, the media data stream comprising one or more programs, each program comprising one or more program components, the receiving device comprising

• a receiver circuit configured to receive the media data stream comprising a program specific information data segment, the program specific information data segment comprising data specifying information regarding at least one program of said one or more programs or at least one program component of said one or more program components in the media data stream, the program specific information data segment also having associated therewith a zone description defined for said at least one program or for said at least one program component, the zone description identifying a media zone for said at least one program or said at least one program component in the media data stream, wherein the media zone is a segment of the media data stream that has special properties, wherein the media data stream is a transport stream according to the Moving Pictures Expert Group-2 (MPEG-2) transport stream format,
• a processing circuit configured to detect in the media data stream the program specific information data segment comprising the zone description and to identify, based upon an analysis of the zone description, the media zone and to determine a play-out control instruction for play-out of the media zone, wherein the program specific information data segment is a Program Map Table (PMT) of the transport stream, wherein the zone description is included in a private table of the transport stream, and wherein the PMT is associated with the private table and the zone description included therein via a first Packet Identifier (PID), and
• an output circuit configured to play-out the identified media zone according to the determined play-out control instruction.