Optimizing playback of media content

Abstract

A computer-readable storage medium stores media content in one or more formats and a media engine. The media engine includes a media player and a plurality of execution modules. Each execution module is specific to a different platform of multimedia device, such that the computer-readable storage medium is usable in a plurality of different multimedia device platforms.

1 . A non-transitory read-only computer-readable storage medium comprising:
 media content, the media content comprising multiple versions of the media content encoded in a plurality of different formats; and   a media engine including a media player and a plurality of execution modules, each execution module being specific to a different platform of multimedia device,   wherein the media engine includes instructions that, when executed by a processor of a multimedia device, facilitate playback of media content on the multimedia device using the media player, regardless of whether the media content is stored in a format supported by the multimedia device, by performing acts comprising:
 determining a compatible execution module that is readable by the multimedia device, from among the plurality of execution modules stored on the storage medium, the plurality of execution modules being stored on the storage medium prior to the determination; 
 executing the compatible execution module on the processor of the multimedia device; 
 playing back at least a portion of the media content using the media player, the portion of the media content being encoded in a format of the plurality of different formats that is compatible with the media player. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the media engine further comprises an optimization module including instructions that, when executed by the processor of the multimedia device, perform acts comprising:
 determining display settings of a display device coupled to the multimedia device;   storing the display settings of the display device in memory of the multimedia device; and   adjusting one or more display settings of the multimedia device to optimize playback of the media content.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein the optimization module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor of the multimedia device, perform acts comprising:
 adjusting a width and/or height of a playback region shown on the display device.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein the optimization module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor of the multimedia device, perform acts comprising:
 exiting the playback of the media content; and   restoring the display settings of the display device to the stored display settings stored in memory of the multimedia device.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein the display settings comprise one or multiple elements selected from the group consisting of resolution, aspect ratio, frame rate, refresh rate, and font size. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more storage media comprise an optical disk. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more storage media comprise non-volatile memory. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the media engine further comprises a user interface module comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor of the multimedia device, perform acts comprising:
 presenting a graphical user interface usable to interact with the media player to control playback of the media content.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the user interface module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor of the multimedia device, perform acts comprising:
 presenting a website link usable to access a website during the playback of the media content.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the user interface module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor of the multimedia device, perform acts comprising:
 presenting a document button to allow the user to access a document during the playback of the media content.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein the user interface module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor of the multimedia device, perform acts comprising:
 presenting a slide button to allow the user to access a slide presentation during the playback of the media content.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different formats include one or more of the following: video compact disk format, compact disk audio format, digital versatile disk format, portable document format, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4. 
     
     
         13 . A method of playback of media content stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium by a multimedia device, wherein the storage medium is removable and distinct from storage components of the multimedia device, the method comprising:
 initiating electronic communication between the multimedia device and a media engine stored on the storage medium;   determining a compatible execution module, from among a plurality of execution modules stored on the storage medium, that is readable by the multimedia device;   executing, directly from the storage medium, the compatible execution module on a processor of the multimedia device, the compatible execution module including instructions to execute a media player of the media engine stored on the storage medium;   executing the media player on the processor of the multimedia device to playback the media content in response to the instruction from the compatible execution module; and   playing back at least a portion of the media content using the media player of the media engine stored on the storage medium.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the compatible execution module further includes instructions to load an optimization module prior to loading the media player, such that prior to playing back media content, the method includes:
 executing an optimization module stored on the storage medium on the processor of the multimedia device, the optimization module:
 determines display settings of a display device coupled to the multimedia device; 
 stores the display settings of the display device in memory of the multimedia device; and 
 adjusts one or more display settings of the multimedia device to optimize playback of the media content. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein subsequent to playing back the media content, the optimization module further:
 exits the playback of the media content; and   restores the display settings of the display device to the stored display settings stored in memory of the multimedia device.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the display settings comprise one or multiple elements selected from the group consisting of resolution, aspect ratio, frame rate, refresh rate, and font size. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the optimization module further adjusts a width and/or height of a playback region shown on the display device. 
     
     
         18 . A system comprising:
 a delivery medium; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium removably coupled to the delivery medium, the computer readable-storage medium comprising:
 media content encoded in a plurality of different formats; 
 a media engine including a media player and a plurality of execution modules, each execution module being specific to a different platform of multimedia device, such that the computer-readable storage medium is usable in a plurality of different multimedia device platforms, the media engine comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of the multimedia device, perform acts comprising:
 determining a compatible execution module that is readable by the multimedia device, from among the plurality of execution modules; 
 executing the compatible execution module on the processor of the multimedia device; and 
 playing back at least a portion of the media content on the multimedia device using the media player, regardless of whether the media content is stored in a format supported by the multimedia device; and 
 
   an optimization module including instructions that, when executed by the processor of the multimedia device, perform acts comprising:
 determining display settings of a display device coupled to the multimedia device; 
 storing the display settings of the display device in memory of the multimedia device; and 
 adjusting one or more display settings of the multimedia device to optimize playback of the media content. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of different multimedia device platforms in which the computer-readable storage medium is usable includes: personal computers running a proprietary operating system, personal computers running an open source operating system, console digital versatile disk players, and audio compact disk players. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the delivery medium comprises a printed publication. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the delivery medium comprises a beverage container. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises an optical disk having a thickness of at least about  0 . 6  and at most about  0 . 8  millimeters, and has sufficient flexibility to allow the disk to be bent such that two points located at opposite ends of a diameter of the disk touch each other without breaking the computer-readable storage medium or damaging data stored on the computer-readable storage medium.