Transition points in an image sequence

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions executable to perform an operation to reduce noticeability of quality level changes during streaming of media content, based on transition points, the operation comprising:

• providing a predefined set of values ranging from explicitly characterizing weakest candidacy as a transition point to explicitly characterizing strongest candidacy as a transition point;
• retrieving a time marker associated with a point of interest in the media content;
• identifying a first position within the media content corresponding to the point of interest;
• generating, by operation of one or more computer processors when executing the instructions, a transition marker specifying a value that explicitly characterizes a candidacy of the point of interest as a transition point, wherein the specified value is selected from the predefined set of values, wherein the transition marker is embedded into the media content at a second position that is no later in time than the first position;
• determining a measure of available bandwidth, based on at least two of:
• (i) a maximum capacity of a communications channel for streaming the media content;
• (ii) a measure of current utilization of bandwidth of the communications channel;
• (iii) and a bit rate of the media content;
• and
• during streaming of the media content, causing a client media player to transition from an initial image quality level to a target image quality level at a point in time determined based on the transition marker, in order to reduce noticeability of the transition, wherein the target image quality level is determined based on the measure of available bandwidth, wherein a larger reduction in image quality level occurring at higher-candidacy transition point is prioritized over a smaller reduction in image quality level occurring at a lower-candidacy transition point.

A computing system to reduce noticeability of quality level changes during streaming of media content, based on transition points, the computing system comprising:

• a memory that is configured to store instructions for a program;
• and
• a processor that is configured to execute the instructions for the program to perform an operation comprising:
• providing a predefined set of values ranging from explicitly characterizing weakest candidacy as a transition point to explicitly characterizing strongest candidacy as a transition point;
• retrieving a time marker associated with a point of interest in the media content;
• identifying a first position within the media content corresponding to the point of interest;
• generating a transition marker specifying a value that explicitly characterizes a candidacy of the point of interest as a transition point, wherein the specified value is selected from the predefined set of values, wherein the transition marker is embedded into the media content at a second position that is no later in time than the first position;
• determining a measure of available bandwidth, based on at least two of:
• (i) a maximum capacity of a communications channel for streaming the media content;
• (ii) a measure of current utilization of bandwidth of the communications channel;
• (iii) and a bit rate of the media content;
• and
• during streaming of the media content, causing a client media player to transition from an initial image quality level to a target image quality level at a point in time determined based on the transition marker, in order to reduce noticeability of the transition, wherein the target image quality level is determined based on the measure of available bandwidth, wherein a larger reduction in image quality level occurring at higher-candidacy transition point is prioritized over a smaller reduction in image quality level occurring at a lower-candidacy transition point.