Apparatus and method for media play in home network

A control device configured to control media content distribution in a home network, wherein the home network comprises the control device, a media play device, and multiple media distribution devices, and wherein the control device comprises:

• a network interface;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor,
• wherein the network interface and the memory are coupled to the processor,
• wherein the network interface is configured to communicate with the media play device and the media distribution devices,
• wherein the memory is configured to store a computer executable instruction, and
• wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer executable instruction in order to complete the following operations:
• determine that a task needs to be executed, wherein the task is distributing a media content to the media play device;
• acquire device information of the multiple media distribution devices;
• select at least one available media distribution device from the multiple media distribution devices according to the device information, wherein the available media distribution device is configured to process the media content such that the media content has an adaptive media stream format suitable for the media play device;
• and
• assign a child task to each of the available media distribution devices when there are multiple available media distribution devices,
• wherein the child task instructs each of the available media distribution devices to process at least one segment of the media content such that the multiple available media distribution devices jointly process the media content,
• wherein the home network is a digital living network alliance (DLNA) network,
• wherein the control device communicates with the media play device and the media distribution devices using a dynamic adaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol (DASH) protocol,
• wherein assigning the child task to each of the available media distribution devices comprises sending a uniform resource identifier fragment of the at least one segment of the media content to each of the available media distribution devices,
• wherein the uniform resource identifier fragment of each segment of the media content comprises range information of the segment of the media content and a first address of the segment of the media content,
• wherein the range information is used to indicate a range of the task that needs to be processed by the available media distribution device, and
• wherein the first address of the segment of the media content is used to indicate a storage address of the segment of the media content.