JP2009260947A - Vod content selecting and reproducing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a convenient VOD program selection technique while taking update, etc. of a program into account. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus includes a memory part 27; a VOD content preview screen display control part 25; a display part 21; and a communication part 15 for accessing a VOD content server holding VOD content and meta server holding attribute information of the VOD content. The apparatus holds URI of a meta server providing meta information of content of service business providing content to access the meta server and acquire and hold meta information held by the meta server and including reproduced information file URI of the preview of the content for every ID concerning each content. The apparatus further continuously reproduces the preview of the VOD content in response to user instruction and based on the meta information, displays the preview screen on the display part, and displays another screen concerning the VOD content of the preview on the display part in response to user operation during reproduction of the preview of the VOD content. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a VOD content selection / playback apparatus, and more particularly, to a content (program) selection technology such as VOD.

  Video on demand (hereinafter referred to as VOD) services are spreading. When the VOD service is provided, since a large number of programs are provided, the user's program options are greatly expanded. In order to select a desired program from many programs, some device is required. In the technique described in Patent Document 1 below, broadcast content is classified into a plurality of categories, the classified program information is displayed in a selectable category on the monitor screen, and is classified into the selected category. Only program information to be displayed is selectably displayed on the monitor screen.

JP 2004-56462 A

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 is merely a method for selecting a recorded program, and it is considered that the program is updated by a user other than the user, there is a difference between the main purchase / preview and the main part / preview. Not.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an easy-to-use VOD program selection technique in consideration of program update and the like.

  The VOD content selection / playback apparatus of the present invention includes a memory unit, a VOD content preview screen display control unit, a display unit, a VOD content server that holds VOD content, and a meta server that holds VOD content attribute information. A VOD content selection / playback apparatus having a communication unit to access, wherein the VOD content preview screen display control unit holds a URI of a meta server that provides meta information of content of a service provider that provides content, and the meta server The meta information held by the meta server is acquired and held for each ID related to the content, including the reproduction information file URI of the preview of the content, and the VOD content according to the user instruction Preview of Continuous playback based on the recorded meta information, a preview screen is displayed on the display unit, and during playback of the preview of the VOD content, another screen related to the VOD content of the preview is displayed on the display unit in response to a user operation. It has a VOD content preview screen display control unit.

  The other screen may be a screen for purchasing the VOD content.

  The other screen may be a main content playback screen of the VOD content.

  The VOD content preview screen display control unit may create and hold a VOD content list in which the meta information is listed in advance, and continuously reproduce the preview of the VOD content based on the VOD content list.

  The VOD content preview screen display control unit may continuously play back previews in the order of VOD content in the VOD content list.

  The VOD content preview screen display control unit may acquire the meta information every time the meta information held by the meta server is updated, and correct the VOD content list based on the meta information.

  The VOD content preview screen display control unit may acquire meta information from the meta server when the continuous reproduction of the preview of the VOD content is started, and correct the VOD content list based on the meta information.

  The VOD content preview screen display control unit obtains meta information from the meta server each time the VOD content selection / playback apparatus is turned on, and modifies the VOD content list based on the meta information. Also good.

  The VOD content preview screen display control unit may create and hold a plurality of VOD content lists.

  The VOD content preview screen display control unit may create a plurality of VOD content lists based on the genre or keyword of the VOD content.

  The VOD content preview screen display control unit performs VOD content preview playback in response to a user instruction when starting continuous playback of the VOD content preview or during continuous playback of the VOD content preview. The content list may be switched.

  When the VOD content preview screen display control unit receives a user instruction to continuously play back previews of VOD content, the VOD content preview screen display control unit acquires the meta information from the meta server, creates and holds a VOD content list in which the meta information is listed, A preview of the VOD content may be continuously reproduced based on the VOD content list.

  The VOD content preview screen display control unit may start playback of the preview of the VOD content in the previous playback order or the next playback order in response to a user instruction during continuous playback of the preview of the VOD content. .

  A VOD content selection / playback method according to the present invention includes a memory unit, a VOD content preview screen display control unit, a display unit, a VOD content server that holds VOD content, and a meta server that holds attribute information of the VOD content. A VOD content selection / playback method in a VOD content selection / playback apparatus having a communication unit to access, the step of holding a URI of a metaserver that provides meta information of content of a service provider that provides content, and access to the metaserver And acquiring and holding meta information including the reproduction information file URI of the content for each ID related to each content, and pre-playing the VOD content according to a user instruction. Continuously displaying a preview screen based on the meta information and displaying a preview screen on the display unit, and during playback of the preview of the VOD content, another screen related to the VOD content of the preview is displayed according to a user operation. And a step of displaying on the section.

  The present invention may be a program for causing a computer to execute the VOD content selection / playback method described above, or a computer-readable recording medium storing the program. The program may be obtained through a transmission medium.

  According to the present invention, a preview of a VOD content is continuously played, and when a preview of the desired VOD content is played back, a user instruction, for example, presses a determination button on the remote controller, thereby causing another screen related to the VOD content, for example, VOD content In consideration of program updates, such as the purchase screen and the playback screen of the VOD content main part, an easy-to-use VOD program selection technology is realized.

It is a figure which shows one structural example of the system containing the VOD content selection reproduction | regeneration apparatus by one embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the preparation procedure of a VOD content list. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of the VOD process in the television receiver by this Embodiment, the process of the first half is processing regarding creation / update of a program list (play list), and the second half (after step S9) is for VOD playback. The flow of reproduction from a list (list reproduction) is shown. It is a figure which shows one structural example of a program list. It is a figure which shows an example of the concept of a VOD program selection method. It is a figure which shows the example of the provider structure used as the premise of VOD service. It is a screen transition diagram in the continuous reproduction of the preview of the VOD content. It is a figure which shows an example of a VOD channel setting screen.

  Before describing the embodiment of the present invention, the carrier structure which is the premise of the VOD service will be described with reference to FIG. The provider structure of the VOD service is composed of a CDN provider, a plurality of platform providers included therein, and a service provider included in each platform provider. The CDN operator is an operator who operates the CDN and physically provides distribution infrastructure. The platform provider is a provider that provides meta information in a collective unit of service providers. The service provider is a provider that is a main entity that provides the content distribution service.

  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a VOD viewing system including a television receiver described as an example of a VOD content selection / playback apparatus that can use a VOD selection technique according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the VOD viewing system according to the present embodiment includes, for example, a television receiver A (which may be an STB) having a communication function, a content server B that provides content, and a metaserver that provides content information. C. The content server B and the meta server C may be integrated.

  A television receiver A having a communication function includes a front end 1 that processes broadcast waves received from an antenna, a demultiplexer 3, a video / audio decoding unit 5, an audio output unit 7, and a VOD content selection screen synthesis unit. 17, a display unit 21, a remote control light receiving unit 23, a control unit 25, and a memory unit 27, and a communication unit 15. The communication unit 15 can communicate with the content server B and the meta server C, and can acquire content and meta information. The control unit 25 has a program (VOD content) list creation unit 25a that creates a program list, which will be described later, while controlling the overall function, and the created program list is stored in the memory unit 27. A program list storage unit 27a is provided.

  With the above configuration, the content provided from the content server B can be viewed on the television receiver A.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a general VOD content playback procedure. Here, it is assumed that the television receiver A, a resource B that provides AV content, and a license management unit D that manages licenses are included.

a) In the television receiver A, for example, CDN (Contents Distribution Network) configuration information and PF configuration information (information regarding what kind of PF provider server is included in the contents of the CDN) acquired in the memory unit 27 are acquired. The CDN configuration information holds, for example, a plurality of PF IDs and URIs corresponding to the respective PF IDs. The PF configuration information includes the ID of the meta server C managed by the service provider and meta information (attribute information). Based on these, the meta URI of each service provider is acquired from the service provider list and stored in the memory unit 27.

b) Access each meta server C specified by the acquired meta URI, acquire the meta information held by the meta server, and list them in the newest order. Here, the meta information is the title, ID, update date / time, program release date, preview playback control file URI, main playback control file URI, content genre, content keyword, and content purchase information. Including a purchase URI and the like.

c) Access the playback control file URI of the preview (or main part) of each content (program), obtain the playback control file X of the target content, stream content URI, presence / absence of encryption in the content, content license information, etc. , Information necessary for starting the VOD reproduction process is acquired. The playback control file X includes an ERI that includes content presentation source and content-specific information, an LLI that includes content license / rights protection information, and an NCI that includes information related to playback control of streaming content (for example, fast-forward, playback). (Including information such as bit rate, stream length, and double speed playback). One characteristic is that the reproduction control file X is acquired in advance.

d) A program (content) list including information necessary for immediately starting the VOD playback process is created in advance at this stage based on the playback control information acquired in the above, and stored in the program list storage unit 27a of the memory unit 27. Keep it. Based on the program list, as will be described later, for example, a GUI for selecting contents is displayed on the display unit 21.

  In the subsequent processing, it is possible to sequentially present the content in the television receiver (user) and reproduce the content without leaving an interval. The processing so far is processing corresponding to 1) shown in FIG.

e) Also, when the OK button is pressed during VOD preview playback, the browser is started after recording how much of the content in the program list has been played, and the VOD purchase URI for purchasing VOD is accessed. It has become.

f) If the content has been purchased, playback of the main part is started. In this case, if it is encrypted, a license is requested and acquired, and the process shown in 2) of FIG. 2 is performed as necessary. Then, the AV resource B is accessed, and the streaming request and the streaming acquisition are performed. Perform (Process (3)).

g) If a stream cannot be acquired when a stream is requested based on the stored list, the stored reproduction control file URI is accessed again to acquire the stream URI again.

h) If the playback control file cannot be acquired, the metadata is retrieved again.

i) By holding the program list of d), it is not necessary to access the playback control file X each time a content is to be played back, so the processing becomes faster. Further, the processing from a) to c) is performed after a certain time, and the d) list update processing is performed only for the updated portion.

  With the above mechanism, a general technique can select and reproduce desired VOD content from a large amount of VOD data by an efficient and simple operation. That is, if you try to play normal VOD sequentially, 1) → 2) → 3) → 1) → 2) → 3) → 1) → 2) → 3) → 1) → 2) → 3) ... and the process is repeated.

In contrast, in the embodiment of the present invention,
First, a plan for reproduction is determined, and b) reproduction is performed according to the following procedure.
a) 1) → 2) → 3) → 2) → 3) → 2) → 3) → 2) → 3)…
b) → 1) → 1) → 1)

  Here, the right and left divided in the upper stage a) and the lower stage b) indicate parallel processing. The time required for 1) and 2) is sufficiently smaller than the time required for 3), and a large number of processes 1) can be performed during the process 3). On the other hand, in the normal method, for example, the communication situation happens to be bad, and only a little time is required for 1), and a gap is created between the contents (c above) ).

  In this way, in the example shown in FIG. 2, since the playback control file is acquired in advance, the content can be played back immediately at any time, and the playback interval between programs can be shortened.

  Hereinafter, details of the processing according to the present embodiment will be further described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the VOD process in the television receiver according to the present embodiment. The first half of the process is a process related to the creation / update of a program list (playback list), and the second half (after step S9) is the VOD. The flow of the reproduction | regeneration (list reproduction | regeneration) from the list | wrist for reproduction | regeneration is shown. When the process is started (step S1: STRAT), CDN configuration information is acquired in step S2, and PF information is acquired in step S3. Based on these, the meta information distributed by the service provider is acquired in step S4, and in step S5, whether the meta information is updated or the reproduction list has not been created is stored in the program list storage unit 27a. Judge by looking. When not creating (NO), it progresses to step S9. In the case of creating or updating (Yes), the process proceeds to step S6, where a reproduction list is created / updated. In step S7, a reproduction control file for each program is acquired, and in step S8, the reproduction list is rewritten. Thereby, the program list (playback list) is completed.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a program list. As shown in FIG. 4, in the program list, a content ID, a meta URI, and metadata are recorded for each content ID. The metadata includes, for example, information such as the title of the content, the update date and time, the URI of the preview reproduction control file, the genre of the content, and whether or not it has been purchased.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of a VOD program selection method. A preview screen for selecting a VOD program created based on the above process based on the program list and displayed on the display unit 21 is displayed. It is a figure which shows an example. As shown in FIG. 5, on the preview screen for selecting a VOD program according to the present embodiment, for example, one VOD content selected from the program list is displayed as an icon serving as a preview button display and a playback start button. . What is conceptually shown in FIG. 5 indicates that the newness of the content (horizontal axis: time axis) and the type of content (vertical axis) are listed in a two-dimensional matrix. ing. Based on the program list, a preview screen in an ellipse surrounding VOD1 is displayed on the screen of the display unit also as a VOD content selection button (icon). Here, the content selection button 31 of the VOD1 genre A enters the VOD program selection screen by some trigger (step S31 '). Here, the content selection button 31 is displayed as purchased in the list, and the content can be played back at any time when the preview display is being viewed. The preview display is performed for about 60 seconds, for example, and if the determination key is not pressed during that time, the preview display of the next program is displayed instead of the preview display of the program. For example, each VOD content preview display can be moved by a selection key (left / right up / down direction key and enter key) of the remote control device, and preview display of the selected content can be performed. Further, by pressing the determination key on the remote controller in this state, the content being previewed can be actually reproduced (step S32).

  The VOD program preview display screen shown in FIG. 5 can be generated from the list shown in FIG. 4 and displayed. The arrows on the horizontal axis indicate the newness of content based on the update date and time (first acquisition date and time if not updated) in the list of FIG. 4, and the vertical axis indicates grouping based on the content (type) of content Group axis (genre or keyword axis). The vertical axis and the horizontal axis can be interchanged, and the group axis on the vertical axis can be converted from the genre axis to the keyword axis, etc., if necessary, and the genre axis range, keyword axis range, etc. Can be organized and displayed in a list.

  Here, for example, when the button 31 is selected and displayed on the screen and the rightward movement button is pressed using the remote control device, the button 32 is selected and a preview is displayed on the screen. When the determination button is pressed in the button display state, the corresponding VOD content is reproduced and reproduced. When the fast-forward button is pressed in the button display state, the process proceeds to the next content button on the horizontal axis in the same manner as when the right button is pressed (goes to the right in FIG. 5). Here, the buttons 31 to 34 are all genre A content buttons. On the other hand, the part review display can be changed in the direction of the vertical axis (genre axis) with the up and down buttons. The row of buttons 41 to 44 is a button row of genre B. Further, the lower row is a button row of content related to the keyword C (for example, included in the title). As shown in step S34, for example, when there is some action on the button 31, a new genre is added as shown by the button 55, for example. Here, for example, the main part of VOD1 is displayed as a button.

  Here, a description will be given of the appearance of a main part or a purchase candidate. While viewing the preview, the following variety can be given to the result of pressing the enter button on the remote control.

  1) While viewing the preview, press the remote control enter button to go to the purchase screen.

  2) While viewing the preview, pressing the OK button on the remote control will start the main part.

  3) While pressing the preview button on the remote control while viewing the preview, a new genre is created. As an example of this case, an example is shown in which the main part is displayed as a button.

  In this way, the operation of selecting a VOD program is very easy to understand. Returning to FIG. 3, an example of the process shown in FIG. 5 will be described. When the process proceeds from step S8 to step S9 and a reproduction process start operation is performed by pressing the enter button based on the VOD list, the process proceeds to step S10, where program reproduction is started. Next, when any remote control operation button (decision key and up / down / left / right direction keys) is pressed in step S11 (ON), the process proceeds to step S21. Here, it is determined whether or not the enter button has been pressed (step S21). If the enter key is pressed, the process proceeds to step S22, the playback stop position is recorded, the browser is started in step S27, and the content purchase is made in step S28. Transition to the screen. Here, content can be purchased.

  On the other hand, if the enter button is not pressed, the process proceeds to step S23, and if the left button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S10 and the program is started. If the left button is not pressed and the right button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S13 and the program ends. If the right button is not pressed, the process proceeds to step S25. If the upper button is pressed, the process proceeds to VOD list reproduction in step S9. If the upper button is not pressed, the process proceeds to step S26, and if the lower button is pressed, the process proceeds to the end of the list (step S15). If no button is pressed in step S11, the process proceeds to step S13 and the program ends. In step S14, it is determined whether or not the list is the last. If NO, the process proceeds to step S19 and proceeds to the next program. Returning to the program start process of S10. If it is the end of the list in step S14, the process proceeds to step S15 to display the list, and in step S16, it is determined whether or not it is the last reproduction list. If NO, the next reproduction list is selected in step S20, and VOD list reproduction is performed in step S9. If it is the last in step S16 (YES), it will progress to step S17 and will complete | finish VOD list reproduction | regeneration. Next, in step S18, it is determined whether or not a certain period of time has elapsed (for example, when it is left all day long). If NO, the process returns to step S2.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, VOD program selection can be easily performed.
1) Since the playback control file is acquired in advance, the content can be immediately played back at any time, and the playback interval between programs can be shortened.
2) The list shown in FIG. 4 may be a preview list or a main list.
3) A list can be created for each genre.
4) A list can be created for each keyword.
5) During list playback, a program can be skipped and viewed like a chapter jump by remote control operation (program selection in the list).

6) During list playback, the list can be selected by remote control operation. In the case of a preview list, content can be selected with a single remote control operation from the preview. Content can also be reproduced by the selection operation.
7) A list of previews is created. By acquiring a reproduction control file of the main part in advance, the main part can be reproduced immediately from the preview.
8) During reproduction of the list, the reproduction control file of the main part of the selected program is acquired and listed, so that the “selected main part list” can be created.
9) After the selection operation, the purchased program is memorized so that the next preview can be excluded from the list.
10) By storing the purchased program, the next time the preview is created, the fact that it has been selected is displayed, so that unnecessary operations can be avoided.

In the case of the main list,
11) The main list can be recorded and held in the receiver.
12) A list of series can be listed and the series can be viewed continuously.
13) Resume playback can be supported by storing which list, which program, and where information.
14) The main list can be organized by removing programs whose viewing deadline has expired from the list.
15) Programs that have not been purchased are re-created as a preview list each time the power is turned on and off, while purchased programs are always immediately stored as a list where the main stream is acquired. Can be replayed.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an outline of another VOD program selection method, and is a screen transition diagram in the continuous playback of the VOD content preview. FIG. 7 shows the state of a screen that changes according to a user instruction or the passage of time. In the VOD program selection method of this example, for example, first, VOD channel options are displayed on the EPG screen. VOD content is extracted according to the type of the VOD content, for example, according to the genre, and assigned to each channel. A program list is created and maintained for each channel. For example, a desired channel may be selected by operating selection buttons (left / right up / down buttons and enter button) of the remote control device.

  When a channel is selected, continuous playback of the preview of the VOD content is started based on the program list of the channel. In the example shown in FIG. 7, when the C channel is selected on the EPG screen, the genre Z VOD1, VOD2,... Are played in sequence, and when the A channel is selected on the EPG screen, the genre A VOD1, VOD2,. VOD3... Is sequentially played back, and when the D channel is selected, the genre B VOD1. The screen during preview playback is as shown in the lower right of FIG. The preview playback screen is slightly smaller than the entire screen, and the surroundings of the currently displayed preview genre and the total number of previews are displayed around it. Instructions for moving to the preview, moving between channels, and moving to the purchase site are displayed.

  During continuous playback of previews of VOD content in each channel, it may be possible to jump to a preview of VOD content before and after the playback order. For example, playback of the preview of the next playback order VOD content is started by pressing the right button of the remote control device, or playback of the preview of the previous playback order VOD content is started by pressing the left button of the remote control device. You may make it do. In the example of FIG. 7, when the right button is pressed during the preview playback of the genre Z VOD1, the playback of the genre Z VOD2 preview starts, and when the left button is pressed during the genre Z VOD2 preview playback, the genre Z VOD1 is played. When the right button is pressed during playback of the genre A VOD1 preview, playback of the genre A VOD2 preview starts, and when the right button is pressed during playback of the genre A VOD2 preview. Playback of the genre A VOD3 preview is started. When the left button is pressed during playback of the genre A VOD3 preview, playback of the genre A VOD2 preview starts. When is pressed, the preview of VOD1 of genre A It has been shown how raw is started.

  Further, during continuous playback of the preview of the VOD content in each channel, the channel may be switched to another channel. For example, the channel may be switched by pressing the up / down button of the remote control device, and playback of the preview of the VOD content in the channel after the switching may be started. In the example of FIG. 7, when the down button is pressed during preview playback of the V channel 1 or VOD 2 of the genre Z of the C channel, the display moves to the A channel, and playback of the preview of the VOD 1 of the genre A is started. When the up button is pressed during preview playback of VOD2 or VOD3, the channel moves to the C channel and playback of the preview of VOD1 of genre Z is started, and the down button is pressed during playback of the genre A of VOD1, VOD2 or VOD3. Move to D channel, playback of genre B's VOD1 preview starts, and if the upper button is pressed during playback of genre B's genre B's VOD1, move to A channel and start playback of genre A's VOD1 preview. The state of being shown That.

  During playback of the preview of the VOD content, for example, by pressing the enter key of the remote control device, if the VOD content is not purchased, the purchase screen is displayed. If the VOD content is purchased, the You may make it start reproduction | regeneration of the main part of VOD. In the example of FIG. 7, when the determination button is pressed at the time of preview reproduction of the genre B VOD1, the purchase screen of the genre B VOD1 is displayed. The purchase screen may be provided by a purchase URI, or may be prepared in advance on the VOD content selection / playback apparatus side, and some purchase information may be transmitted / received to / from the purchase URI.

  The VOD channel may be set according to setting conditions other than the genre. For example, a channel in which VOD contents including a certain keyword are collected may be set. Further, the user may be able to set the channel. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the VOD channel setting screen. In the example of FIG. 8, “all” is set as the setting condition for the VOD channel 1. With this setting, the VOD channel 1 includes all VOD contents. In the VOD channel 2, “genre” is set as a setting condition, and “sports” is set as the genre. With this setting, the VOD channel 2 includes VOD content whose genre is sport. In the VOD channel 3, “genre” is set as a setting condition, and “drama” is set as the genre. With such a setting, the VOD channel 3 includes VOD content whose genre is drama. In the VOD channel 4, “keyword” is set as a setting condition, and “XXX” is set as a keyword (arbitrary words are entered in XXX). With this setting, the VOD channel 4 includes VOD content including the keyword “XXX”. VOD channels 5 and 6 are not set.

  Also, a new VOD channel may be set during playback of the VOD content preview. In the example of FIG. 7, when the favorite button (dedicated button) on the remote control is pressed during preview playback of the genre B VOD1, the VOD channel setting screen as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed, and the VOD based on the new setting condition is displayed. It is shown that preview playback of the VOD content of the set VOD channel is started by setting the channel.

  The VOD content included in each VOD channel is extracted from the program list as shown in FIG. 4 based on each setting condition, and held as a program list for each channel. In each channel, preview playback of VOD content in the program list is performed, for example, in the order of update date and time included in the metadata. The release date and time of the VOD content may be included in the metadata, and the preview may be reproduced in order of the release date and time. It is also possible to reproduce the preview in another order, for example, in order of oldest update date and release date.

  For example, the program list may be updated by acquiring meta information from the meta server each time the VOD content selection / playback apparatus is turned on. Alternatively, the program list may be updated by acquiring meta information from the meta server each time continuous playback of the preview of the VOD content of each VOD channel is started. Further, each time an update of meta information in the meta server is detected, the program list may be updated by acquiring the meta information from the meta server.

  Also, without creating and maintaining a program list in advance, the meta information is acquired from the meta server at the start of continuous playback of the preview of the VOD content, and the meta information that meets a predetermined condition is searched by the meta data search unit 25b included in the control unit 25. However, continuous playback may be performed.

  The present invention can be used as a VOD content program selection method.

A ... VOD content selection / playback device, B ... Content server, C ... Meta server, 1 ... Front end, 3 ... Demultiplexer, 5 ... Video / audio decoding unit, 7 ... Audio output unit, 15 ... Communication unit, 17 ... VOD program Selection screen composition unit, 23... Remote control light receiving unit, 25... Control unit, 25 a... Program list and creation unit, 27.

Claims (16)

VOD content selection having a memory unit, a VOD content preview screen display control unit, a display unit, a VOD content server that holds VOD content, and a communication unit that accesses a meta server that holds attribute information of the VOD content A playback device,
The VOD content preview screen display control unit holds a meta server URI that provides meta information of content of a service provider that provides content, accesses the meta server, and holds meta information held by the meta server, For each ID related to the content, meta information including a playback information file URI of the content preview is acquired and held, and a preview of the VOD content is continuously played based on the meta information in accordance with a user instruction, and a preview screen is displayed. A VOD content selection / playback apparatus that displays on the display unit and displays another screen related to the VOD content of the preview on the display unit in response to a user operation during playback of the preview of the VOD content.   2. The VOD content preview screen display control unit previously creates and holds a VOD content list in which the meta information is listed, and continuously reproduces a preview of the VOD content based on the VOD content list. The VOD content selection / playback apparatus according to claim 1.   3. The VOD content selection / playback apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the VOD content preview screen display control unit continuously plays the previews in the order of new VOD content in the VOD content list.   The VOD content preview screen display control unit acquires the meta information every time the meta information held by the meta server is updated, and corrects the VOD content list based on the meta information. Item 4. The VOD content selection / playback apparatus according to Item 2 or 3.   The VOD content preview screen display control unit obtains meta information from the meta server when the continuous playback of the preview of the VOD content is started, and corrects the VOD content list based on the meta information. Item 5. The VOD content selection / playback device according to any one of Items 2 to 4.   The VOD content preview screen display control unit obtains meta information from the meta server each time the VOD content selection / playback apparatus is turned on, and corrects the VOD content list based on the meta information. The VOD content selection / playback apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5.   7. The VOD content selection / playback apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the VOD content preview screen display control unit creates and holds a plurality of VOD content lists.   8. The VOD content selection / playback apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the VOD content preview screen display control unit creates a plurality of VOD content lists based on a genre or keyword of the VOD content.   The VOD content preview screen display control unit performs VOD content preview playback in response to a user instruction when starting continuous playback of the VOD content preview or during continuous playback of the VOD content preview. 9. The VOD content selection / playback apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the content list is switched. VOD content selection having a memory unit, a VOD content preview screen display control unit, a display unit, a VOD content server that holds VOD content, and a communication unit that accesses a meta server that holds attribute information of the VOD content A playback device,
The VOD content preview screen display control unit holds the URI of the meta server that provides meta information of the content of the service provider that provides the content, and accesses the meta server upon receiving a user instruction to continuously play back the preview of the VOD content. The meta information held by the meta server, for each ID related to each content, is searched for meta information including a reproduction information file URI of the content preview according to a predetermined condition, and VOD is based on the searched meta information. A preview of the content is continuously played, a preview screen is displayed on the display unit, and another screen related to the VOD content of the preview is displayed on the display unit according to a user operation during playback of the preview of the VOD content. Characteristic VOD content selection Reproducing apparatus.   11. The VOD content selection / playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the other screen is a screen for purchasing the VOD content.   The VOD content selection / playback apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the another screen is a main screen playback screen of the VOD content.   The VOD content preview screen display control unit starts playback of the preview of the VOD content in the previous playback order or the next playback order according to a user instruction during continuous playback of the preview of the VOD content. The VOD content selection reproduction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12. VOD content selection having a memory unit, a VOD content preview screen display control unit, a display unit, a VOD content server that holds VOD content, and a communication unit that accesses a meta server that holds attribute information of the VOD content A VOD content selection / playback method in a playback device,
Holding a URI of a meta server that provides meta information of content of a service provider that provides content;
Accessing the meta server and acquiring and holding meta information including the reproduction information file URI of the preview of the content for each ID related to the content, the meta information held by the meta server;
Continuously playing a VOD content preview based on the meta information in response to a user instruction, and displaying a preview screen on the display unit;
And a step of displaying another screen related to the VOD content of the preview on the display unit in response to a user operation during playback of the preview of the VOD content.   The program for making a computer perform the VOD content selection reproduction | regeneration method of Claim 14.   A computer-readable recording medium storing the program according to claim 15.

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