Computer System And Method For Providing Digital Video And Data Over A Communication Channel

Abstract

A computer system and method for providing digital video and data capitalizes on a bus, or broadcast backplane, created by circuitry contained within the central office. The broadcast backplane enables a plurality of video program data to be available to each end user, and allows a plurality of end users access to a plurality of video programming content without the necessity of delivering the entire program content to each end user. A user requests a particular program and, if authorized, receives at least that program over the communication channel. Simultaneous with the digital video content supplied on the channel is both bi-directional data service (such as for example, Internet data) and POTS (plain old telephone service). In this manner, a communication channel that is presently available to a large percentage of the population may be used to deliver digital video content, bi-directional data and POTS simultaneously. In addition, the digital video and data delivery system employs novel architecture to synchronize the timing of the digital video signal to ensure that the digital video program received by the user is of high quality and complies with the present state of the art MPEG-2 (motion picture experts group-2) video standard.