Expanded playlist for tv video player

Abstract

An Internet TV video guide shows thumbnails of video assets available from one or more providers, and one or more of the assets may represent a playlist with two or more associated video clips. When a viewer selects a playlist asset, the thumbnail is expanded to show the individual clips so that a viewer can select a desired clip for play on the TV.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a TV, signals from the Internet; and   based at least in part on the signals, presenting on the TV a video guide, the video guide including plural graphic entities each associated with a respective video asset provided over the Internet, at least one video asset being a playlist comprising at least two video clips, the graphic entity associated with the playlist displaying at least titles of the clips, wherein video header information in the playlist is scanned for title fields, with two or more title fields being inferred to indicate a playlist and with the titles inferred to indicate names of the clips in the playlist.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the titles are displayed when a viewer selects the graphic entity associated with the playlist. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the titles are displayed when a viewer hovers a screen cursor over the graphic entity associated with the playlist. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphic entities include thumbnail images derived from the respective video assets. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising receiving a user selection of a graphic entity and in response downloading the respective video asset from the Internet and playing the respective video asset. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphic entities are arranged in a single row in a bottom portion of a TV display. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising receiving a user selection of a clip on the graphic entity representing the playlist and in response downloading the clip from the Internet and playing the clip. 
   
   
       8 . A TV system comprising:
 a TV;   a TV processor in the TV;   a TV display associated with the TV and configured for communicating with the TV processor;   an Internet adapter configured for communicating with the TV using at least a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) communication path, the Internet adapter configured to receive signals from the Internet;   an adapter processor in the adapter;   the TV processor and/or the adapter processor configured for causing a video guide to be displayed on the TV display, the video guide presenting plural thumbnails each being associated with a respective video asset on the Internet and each being selectable to cause at least a portion of the associated video asset to be played on the TV display, at least one thumbnail representing a playlist and listing at least two titles of clips in the playlist, wherein the video guide presents a random play selector selectable by a viewer to cause all clips in the playlist to be played in random order.   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the titles are displayed when a viewer selects the thumbnail associated with the playlist. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the titles are displayed when a viewer hovers a screen cursor over the thumbnail associated with the playlist. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the thumbnails are derived from the respective video assets. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein a user selection of a thumbnail causes the respective video asset to be downloaded from the Internet and played. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the thumbnails are arranged in a single row in a bottom portion of the TV display. 
   
   
       14 . A TV comprising:
 a TV processor in a TV housing;   a TV display associated with the TV and configured for communicating with the TV processor, wherein an Internet adapter configured for communicating with the TV using at least a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) communication path can receive signals from the Internet and provide the signals to the TV processor;   the TV processor being configured for causing a video guide to be displayed on the TV display, the video guide including plural graphic entities each associated with a respective video asset provided over the Internet from the adapter, at least one video asset being a playlist comprising at least two video clips, the graphic entity associated with the playlist displaying at least titles of the clips, wherein a viewer can play the clips and when the viewer has finished playing clips in the playlist, a pointer is maintained at a last-played clip or at the next clip in the sequence so that upon subsequent invocation of the playlist, play is resumed at the pointed-to clip.   
   
   
       15 . The TV of  claim 14 , wherein the tides are displayed when a viewer selects the graphic entity associated with the playlist. 
   
   
       16 . The TV of  claim 14 , wherein the titles are displayed when a viewer hovers a screen cursor over the graphic entity associated with the playlist. 
   
   
       17 . The TV of  claim 14 , wherein the graphic entities include thumbnail images derived from the respective video assets. 
   
   
       18 . The TV of  claim 14 , wherein a user selection of a graphic entity can be received and in response the processor plays the respective video asset. 
   
   
       19 . The TV of  claim 14 , wherein the graphic entities are arranged in a single row in a bottom portion of the TV display. 
   
   
       20 . The TV of  claim 14 , wherein a user selection of a clip on the graphic entity representing the playlist is received and in response the TV processor plays the clip.