System for enabling a virtual theater

Abstract

An online virtual theatre system is disclosed. The system includes at least one capture device for capturing video and audio of a live event and converting the video and audio into a data stream. The system also includes a production center for receiving the data stream and compressing the data stream to generate a compressed data stream, for determining the number of one or more viewing devices subscribed or reserved to view the live event, and for determining data bandwidth consumption characteristics of the one or more viewing devices. Also included is a server for receiving the compressed data stream, the number of one or more viewing devices, and the data bandwidth consumption characteristics from the production center over a network. The server also duplicates and divides the compressed data stream out to the one or more viewing devices depending on the number of viewing devices subscribed or reserved (cyberseats reserved) to view the live event.

1 . An online virtual theatre system comprising:
 at least one capture device for capturing video and audio of a live event and converting said video and audio into a data stream;   a production center
 for receiving said data stream and compressing said data stream to generate a compressed data stream, 
 for determining a number of one or more viewing devices subscribed or reserved to view said live event, and 
 for determining data bandwidth consumption characteristics of said one or more viewing devices; 
 wherein the number of viewing devices subscribed or reserved to view said live event is selectable based on a maximum number of viewing devices determined based on an estimated duration of said live event and a streaming rate associated with each viewing device; 
   a server
 for receiving said compressed data stream, said number of subscribed or reserved one or more viewing devices, and said data bandwidth consumption characteristics from the production center over a network, and 
 for duplicating and dividing the compressed data stream out to said one or more viewing devices depending on the number of viewing devices subscribed or reserved to view said live event; 
 wherein said server reserves bandwidth for streaming out the compressed data stream to the one or more viewing devices based on a number of capture devices. 
   
     
     
         2 - 21 . (canceled)