Methods, devices and computer programs for transmitting or for receiving and playing media streams

A method, carried out by a transmitting device, for transmitting a media stream, the method including:

• transmitting, through a communication medium or network, a media stream for playing on at least one client device;
• and
• transmitting, in the transmitted media stream or in data transmitted along with the transmitted media stream, an indicator indicating that a media content susceptible of having a local match being already locally stored on the at least one client device is about to be transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted or being transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted, wherein
• a media identifier is sent along with the transmitted media stream, the media identifier enabling the at least one client device to determine whether a local match for a media content about to be transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted or being transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted is locally stored, and
• the media identifier is separate and distinct from the indicator indicating that the media content susceptible of having a local match.

A client device for receiving and playing a media stream, the client device comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processing unit comprising one or more processors coupled to the memory, wherein the client device is configured to:
• perform a first playing procedure, wherein the first playing procedure comprises:
• transmitting, by the client device to a content server, a request related to a media content item;
• receiving, at the client device, meta-information transmitted by the content server, the meta-information related to the media content item and comprising an indicator that the media content item is susceptible of being locally stored and a media identifier for identifying the media content item, wherein the indicator and the media identifier are separate and distinct;
• detecting, in the meta-information, the indicator indicating that the media content item is susceptible of being locally stored;
• and
• as a consequence of detecting the indicator, performing a second playing procedure, wherein the second playing procedure comprises:
• i) determining, based on the media identifier included in the meta-information, whether there exists in a local storage a locally stored media content item corresponding to media content item identified by the media identifier;
• and ii) as a consequence of determining that there exists in the local storage the locally stored media content item, playing the media content item based on at least the locally stored media content item.

A transmitting device for transmitting a media stream, the transmitting device comprising:

• a memory;
• a transmitter;
• and
• a processing unit comprising one or more processors coupled to the memory and the transmitter, wherein the transmitting device is configured to:
• employ the transmitter to transmit, through a communication medium or network, a media stream for playing on at least one client device;
• and
• employ the transmitter to transmit, in the transmitted media stream or in data transmitted along with the transmitted media stream, a media identifier and an indicator, separate and distinct from the media identifier, indicating that a media content susceptible of being already locally stored on the at least one client device is about to be transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted or being transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted, wherein
• the media identifier is for enabling the at least one client device to determine whether a local match for a media content about to be transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted or being transmitted as part of the media stream being transmitted is locally stored.