Digital Media Delivery

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method comprising receiving first media content from first equipment of a first source, transmitting the first media content to a first base station having a first coverage area for transmission from the first base station to a user device through multi-cast while the user device is within the first coverage area, and transmitting the first media content to a second base station having a second coverage area for transmission from the second base station to the user device through unicast while the user device is within the second coverage area. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising:   obtaining a first media content from a first equipment of a first source via a first communications connection, wherein the first media content comprises a first advertising content;   initiating a second communications connection with a first base station having a first coverage area, wherein the first media content is sent via the second communications connection for transmission to a user device by way of multicast while the user device is within the first coverage area;   initiating a third communications connection with a second base station having a second coverage area that is different from the first coverage area, wherein the first media content is sent via the third communications connection for transmission to the user device by way of unicast while the user device is within the second coverage area; and   selecting a portion of the first advertising content for replacement in accordance with movement of the user device, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on metadata associated with the first media content, metadata associated with the first advertising content, or a combination thereof,   wherein the portion of the first advertising content is replaced with a second advertising content obtained via the second base station in accordance with a location of the user device within the first coverage area relative to a border between the first coverage area and the second coverage area, wherein the second advertising content is obtained from a second equipment of a second source, wherein the second equipment is located in the second coverage area.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the multicast comprises an Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) providing a unidirectional point-to-multipoint transmission of data from the first base station to a group of recipients including the user device in a multicast service area corresponding to the first coverage area. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 facilitating establishment of a unicast connection between the second base station and the user device; and   inducing a transition from eMBMS transmission of the first media content from the first base station to unicast transmission of the first media content from the second base station.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second advertising content is different from the first advertising content. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the selecting is based in part on a time of day. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a second media content is associated with the second coverage area. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the second media content is sent via the third communications connection for transmission to the user device by way of multicast while the user device is within the second coverage area. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 recognizing a genre of the first media content; and   selecting the second media content in accordance with the genre.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise detecting the first advertising content in the first media content. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise detecting when the user device enters the second coverage area. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first media content is obtained via broadcast from the first equipment of the first source, the first equipment broadcasting the first media content within the first coverage area. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 obtaining, by a processing system including a processor, a first media content from a first equipment of a first source via a first communications connection, wherein the first media content comprises a first advertising content;   initiating, by the processing system, a second communications connection with a first base station having a first coverage area, wherein the first media content is sent via the second communications connection for transmission to a user device by way of multicast while the user device is within the first coverage area;   initiating, by the processing system, a third communications connection with a second base station having a second coverage area that is different from the first coverage area, wherein the first media content is sent via the third communications connection for transmission to the user device by way of unicast while the user device is within the second coverage area;   detecting, by the processing system, movement of the user device; and   selecting, by the processing system, a portion of the first advertising content for replacement in accordance with the movement of the user device, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on metadata associated with the first media content, metadata associated with the first advertising content, or a combination thereof,   wherein the portion of the first advertising content is replaced with a second advertising content obtained via the second base station in accordance with a location of the user device within the first coverage area relative to a border between the first coverage area and the second coverage area, wherein the second advertising content is obtained from a second equipment of a second source, wherein the second equipment is located in the second coverage area.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the multicast comprises an Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) providing a unidirectional point-to-multipoint transmission of data from the first base station to a group of recipients including the user device in a multicast service area corresponding to the first coverage area. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 facilitating establishment of a unicast connection between the second base station and the user device; and   inducing a transition from eMBMS transmission of the first media content from the first base station to unicast transmission of the first media content from the second base station.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a second media content is associated with the second coverage area. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second media content is sent via the third communications connection for transmission to the user device by way of multicast while the user device is within the second coverage area. 
     
     
         17 . A machine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:
 obtaining a first media content from a first equipment of a first source via a first communications connection, wherein the first media content comprises a first advertising content;   initiating a second communications connection with a first base station having a first coverage area, wherein the first media content is sent via the second communications connection for transmission to a user device by way of multicast while the user device is within the first coverage area;   initiating a third communications connection with a second base station having a second coverage area that is different from the first coverage area, wherein the first media content is sent via the third communications connection for transmission to the user device by way of unicast while the user device is within the second coverage area; and   selecting a portion of the first advertising content for replacement in accordance with movement of the user device, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on metadata associated with the first media content, metadata associated with the first advertising content, or a combination thereof,   
       wherein the portion of the first advertising content is replaced with a second advertising content obtained via the second base station in accordance with a location of the user device within the first coverage area relative to a border between the first coverage area and the second coverage area, wherein the second advertising content is different from the first advertising content, wherein the second advertising content is obtained from a second equipment located in the second coverage area. 
     
     
         18 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the multicast comprises an Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) providing a unidirectional point-to-multipoint transmission of data from the first base station to a group of recipients including the user device in a multicast service area corresponding to the first coverage area. 
     
     
         19 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 facilitating establishment of a unicast connection between the second base station and the user device; and   inducing a transition from eMBMS transmission of the first media content from the first base station to unicast transmission of the first media content from the second base station.   
     
     
         20 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein a second media content is associated with the second coverage area, and wherein the second media content is sent via the third communications connection for transmission to the user device by way of multicast while the user device is within the second coverage area.