1. A method in a host computer for developing transformation processing operations to optimize media content playback to a plurality of playback devices connected with the host computer in a network, the method comprising: receiving a first request from a first playback device for media content; wherein the first request contains information, the information indicating a first original media content, first content generation operations, and first transformation operations; determining whether a previously-generated first intermediate media content is available for reuse, the previously-generated first intermediate media content having been created using the first original media content and the first set of content generation operations; and responsive to determining that a previously-generated first intermediate media content is available, creating a first optimized media content for the first playback device by performing the first set of transformation operations on the previously-generated first intermediate media content; and responsive to determining that a previously-generated first intermediate media content is not available, creating a first optimized media content for the first playback device by creating a first intermediate content using the first original media content and the first set of content generation operations, and performing the first set of transformation operations on the first intermediate media content; and sending the first optimized media content to the first playback device.