PLAYOUT-DEPENDENT UNICAST STREAMING OF DIGITAL VIDEO CONTENT

A technique for managing the streaming of digital video content involves providing a unicast stream to a client in response to the play out status of the unicast stream at the client. In particular, a unicast stream is provided to a client based on whether or not the unicast stream is intended for real-time playout at the client. In order to preserve valuable network resources, if the client does not intend the unicast stream for real-time playout, the unicast stream is not provided to the client. Network resources can also be conserved by utilizing one session between a stream server and a client to support more than one active unicast stream between the stream server and the client in the case where at least one of the active unicast streams is not intended for real-time playout at the client.