A video method and system for automatically tracking a viewer defined target within a viewer defined window of a video image as the target moves within the video image by selecting a target within a video, producing an identification of the selected target, defining a window within the video, utilizing the identification to automatically maintain the selected target within the window of the video as the selected target shifts within the video, and transmitting the window of the video.

Transmission of video and audio signals through an integrated services digital network by low-cost means is carried out by a device in the form of a terminal adapter (TA-TV) to which conventional picture and sound recording devices (CAM) and picture and sound reproduction devices (TV) are connected. Device sockets (B, C) to which the picture and sound recording devices (CAM) and picture and sound reproduction devices (TV) are connected are provided on the terminal adapter (TA-TV). A connection with an integrated services digital network (ISDN) is provided via a network socket (A). The terminal adapter (TA-TV) performs an adaptation of the signals to the network.

A method and system for providing a player of a video game an automatically customized version of an interactive video game responsive to the player's content preferences in at least one category of possibly unsuitable content. A content-on-demand interactive video game method principally comprises establishing a player's content preferences responsive to at least one category of possibly unsuitable content; providing an interactive video game comprising gaming software, and a segment map defining, responsive to the at least one category of possibly unsuitable content, a plurality of content segments of the interactive video game; and automatically selecting, responsive to the gaming software, content segments from the plurality of content segments responsive to an application of the player's content preferences to the segment map.

This invention relates to a video system comprising integrated random access video technologies and video software architectures for the automated selective retrieval of non-sequentially stored parallel, transitional, and overlapping video segments from a single variable content program source, responsive to a viewer's preestablished video content preferences. Embodiments of the video system permit the automatic transmission of the selected segments from a variable content program as a seamless continuous and harmonious video program, and the transmission of the selected segments from an interactive video game further responsive to the logic of the interactive video game. The viewer's video content preferences being stored in the video system, and/or in a compact portable memory device that facilitates the automatic configuration of a second video system. The system's controls also provide an editor of a variable content program the capability for efficiently previewing automatically selected video segments to permit the editor to indicate the inclusion of the selected segments in the program to be viewed by a viewer. The system further integrates fiber optic communications capabilities and the read/write laser disc player capabilities to facilitate the downloading of a variable content program from a source remote to the system.

A video method and system maintains a transmission of an audio of a video during a viewer controlled freezing, slowing, and/or zooming of the transmission of the video component of the video by automatically selecting, adjusting audio levels, looping, and producing audio effects, from a plurality of audio elements of the video, such as a foreground and background audio elements, in response to the viewer control of the transmission of the video component.