Stream boundary marking for dynamic content replacement

A method comprising:

• marking a first boundary within media content with a first type definition and a second boundary within the media content with a different second type definition, wherein the media content spans a first duration, the first boundary spans a second duration within the first duration that is less than the first duration, and the second boundary spans a third duration that does not overlap with the first boundary;
• encoding the media content as a plurality of slices, wherein each slice of the plurality of slices encodes a sub-duration of the media content, and wherein the plurality of slices comprises at least a first set of slices encoding the second duration of the media content between the first boundary, a second set of slices encoding the third duration of the media content between the second boundary, and a third set of slices encoding remaining content of the media content;
• serving the media content with the second set of slices replaced with first substitute content in response to a first request for the media content comprising the second type definition and a control parameter associated with the second type definition, wherein the second type definition of the first request matches the second type definition marking the second boundary spanning the third duration encoded with the second set of slices, and wherein the control parameter associated with the second type definition triggers replacement of the second set of slices during said serving;
• and
• serving the media content with the first set of slices replaced with different second substitute content in response to a second request for the media content comprising the first type definition and a control parameter associated with the first type definition of the second request, wherein the first type definition of the second request matches the first type definition marking the first boundary spanning the second duration encoded with the first set of slices, and wherein the control parameter associated with the first type definition triggers replacement of the first set of slices during said serving.

A method comprising:

• receiving an original presentation of media content comprising at least a first segment, a first break with first third-party content, a second segment, and a second break with second third-party content;
• receiving first and second boundaries, the first boundary marking start and end of the first break, and the second boundary marking start and end of the second break;
• tracking a first condition limiting presentation of the first third-party content in said first boundary and a different second condition limiting presentation of second third-party content in said second boundary;
• encoding the media content as a first segment encoding, a first break encoding, a second segment encoding, and a second break encoding according to said first and second boundaries;
• receiving from a client, a request with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) comprising a filename for the media content, a type definition, and a parameter associated with the particular type definition;
• serving the original presentation of the media content in response to said request arriving a first amount of time after original presentation of the media content and said first and second conditions not triggering by the first amount of time based on said tracking, wherein serving the original presentation comprises sending the first segment encoding, the first break encoding comprising said first third-party content, the second segment encoding, and the second break encoding comprising said second third-party content;
• and
• serving a first modified presentation of the media content in response to said request arriving a second amount of time after the original presentation, said first condition triggering by the second amount of time based on said tracking, and said second condition not triggering by the second amount of time based on said tracking, wherein serving the first modified presentation of the media content comprises sending the first segment encoding immediately followed by the second segment encoding, and removing the first boundary from said first modified presentation in response to triggering of the first condition, the type definition of the request URL identifying the first boundary, and the parameter of the request URL specifying removal of the first boundary after said second amount of time, wherein removing the first boundary prevents presentation of the first break encoding comprising the first third-party content.