Synchronizing streams of co-watching digital video content while providing live digital video chat streams across multiple client devices

Abstract

This disclosure describes a video co-watching system that can efficiently, flexibly, and securely provide access to, and synchronize, co-watching digital video content across multiple participant devices while providing live digital video chat streams between the participant devices. For example, the video co-watching system can enable the participant devices to simultaneously present co-watching digital video content together with a presentation of a video chat. In addition, the video co-watching system can synchronize the co-watching digital video content at each participant device while also facilitating video chatting between the participant devices by transmitting a playback modifier signal to cause one participant device to perform a modification to the playback made at another participant device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 conducting a video call between a first participant device and a second participant device;   receiving a selection to initiate a video co-watching session in connection with the video call;   receiving, from the first participant device, a selection of a digital video for the video co-watching session; and   based on the selection, synchronizing playback of the digital video at the first participant device and at the second participant device as part of the video.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the digital video comprises a third-party digital video; and   synchronizing playback of the third-party digital video is performed without identifying the third-party digital video.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein synchronizing playback of the third-party digital video without identifying the third-party digital video comprises preventing transfer of information regarding the third-party digital video by:
 receiving, from a third-party database, an encrypted identifier indicating, and encrypting an identity of, the third-party digital video; and   distributing the encrypted identifier to the first participant device and the second participant device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein conducting the video call between the first participant device and the second participant device comprises providing, at the first participant device, a video chat interface comprising a first digital video stream from the first participant device and a second digital video stream from the second participant device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising transitioning from the video chat interface into a synchronized digital content video chat interface by:
 reducing a size of a display the first digital video stream;   reducing a size of a display the second digital video stream; and   providing a display of the synchronized digital video.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising presenting a co-watching digital video content selection menu within the video chat interface in response to the selection to initiate the video co-watching session, the co-watching digital video content selection menu comprising a plurality of digital videos available for playback during the video co-watching session. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 generating recommendations of one or more suggested videos for the video co-watching session based on social graph information; and   providing the recommendations of the one or more suggested videos in the co-watching digital video content selection menu.   
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
 conducting a video call between a first participant device and a second participant device;   receiving a selection to initiate a video co-watching session in connection with the video call;   receiving, from the first participant device, a selection of a digital video for the video co-watching session; and   based on the selection, synchronizing playback of the digital video at the first participant device and at the second participant device as part of the video.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the digital video comprises a third-party digital video; and   synchronizing playback of the third-party digital video is performed without identifying the third-party digital video.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein synchronizing playback of the third-party digital video without identifying the third-party digital video comprises preventing transfer of information regarding the third-party digital video by:
 receiving, from a third-party database, an encrypted identifier indicating, and encrypting an identity of, the third-party digital video; and   distributing the encrypted identifier to the first participant device and the second participant device.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein conducting the video call between the first participant device and the second participant device comprises providing, at the first participant device, a video chat interface comprising a first digital video stream from the first participant device and a second digital video stream from the second participant device. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 11 , further comprising transitioning from the video chat interface into a synchronized digital content video chat interface by:
 reducing a size of a display the first digital video stream;   reducing a size of a display the second digital video stream; and   providing a display of the synchronized digital video.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise presenting a co-watching digital video content selection menu within the video chat interface in response to the selection to initiate the video co-watching session, the co-watching digital video content selection menu comprising a plurality of digital videos available for playback during the video co-watching session. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 generating recommendations of one or more suggested videos for the video co-watching session based on social graph information; and   providing the recommendations of the one or more suggested videos in the co-watching digital video content selection menu.   
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 at least one memory device comprising a segmentation neural network and a hole filling model; and   at least one processor configured to cause the system to:
 conduct a video call between a first participant device and a second participant device; 
 receive a selection to initiate a video co-watching session in connection with the video call; 
 receive, from the first participant device, a selection of a digital video for the video co-watching session; and 
 based on the selection, synchronize playback of the digital video at the first participant device and at the second participant device as part of the video. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the digital video comprises a third-party digital video; and   synchronizing playback of the third-party digital video is performed without identifying the third-party digital video.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to synchronize playback of the third-party digital video without identifying the third-party digital video comprises preventing transfer of information regarding the third-party digital video by:
 receiving, from a third-party database, an encrypted identifier indicating, and encrypting an identity of, the third-party digital video; and   distributing the encrypted identifier to the first participant device and the second participant device.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to conduct the video call between the first participant device and the second participant device by providing, at the first participant device, a video chat interface comprising a first digital video stream from the first participant device and a second digital video stream from the second participant device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to transition from the video chat interface into a synchronized digital content video chat interface by:
 reducing a size of a display the first digital video stream;   reducing a size of a display the second digital video stream; and   providing a display of the synchronized digital video.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the system to present a co-watching digital video content selection menu within the video chat interface in response to the selection to initiate the video co-watching session, the co-watching digital video content selection menu comprising a plurality of digital videos available for playback during the video co-watching session.