Streaming internet video editing and composite edit playback

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for the creation of composite internet videos from streaming video feeds serving as an intermediary between an internet video user and a plurality of separate internet video sources. A user may invoke the service from a web page and fashion a composite video from a plurality of sources without copying or otherwise disturbing the source videos. The user's composite video is defined by an edit decision list (EDL) which specifies the location of the plurality of separate videos, the “cut in” and “cut out” locations within the separate videos where the composite video will transition between the separate videos, and an audio volume value associated with each video.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of providing internet users with composite videos directly from original streaming internet source videos, the method comprising:
 specifying details of a composite video in a edit decision list (EDL) with a computer-implemented service, the EDL comprising:
 locations of a plurality of video sources, 
 an in and an out point for each video source, and 
 an audio value for each video source, 
   wherein the service comprises a server computer that operates in a first network domain that is separate from a network domain of the plurality of video sources;   establishing connections to each of the plurality of video sources;   sending, from the server, instructions to a user computing device to create a plurality of playback windows in a standards compliant browser, one playback window for each video source; and   responding, with the server, to a user request to play the composite video by controlling the plurality of playback windows as specified in the EDL.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, from the server, a program for manipulating the EDL.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the program for manipulating the EDL is written in JavaScript®. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sending instructions comprises sending hypertext markup language (HTML) instructions. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of video sources are not located on the same computer network. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of playback windows are procedurally arranged, such that only one playback window displays at any moment to the user. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the controlling of the plurality of playback windows further comprises:
 facilitating download of a first video from a first source to a first video playback window visible to a user in the browser;   facilitating download of a second video from a second source to a hidden second video playback window;   determining an out point of the first video from the EDL;   determining an in point of the second video from the EDL;   pausing the second video in the second video playback window a predetermined time before the in point of the second video;   hiding the first video playback window and showing the second playback window in place of the first video playback window when the first video reaches the out point of the first video; and   unpausing the second video in the second video playback window.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the controlling of the plurality of playback windows further comprises:
 facilitating download of a first video from a first source to a first video playback window visible to a user in the browser;   facilitating download of a second video from a second source to a hidden second video playback window;   determining an out point of the first video from the EDL;   determining an in point of the second video from the EDL;   synchronizing the second video in the second video playback window with the first video the first video playback window such that the second video is playing at the in point of the second video when the first video reaches the out point of the first video; and   displaying the second playback window in place of the first video playback window when the first and second videos reach the now synchronized out point/in point.