Bandwidth management techniques for delivery of interactive program guide

1. A method for managing delivery of video sequences of an interactive program guide (IPG) over a communications network to a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:

pre-allocating a broadcast bandwidth in the communications network for common video sequences to be transmitted by a broadcast technique, said common video sequences comprising IPG pages for a current time period and IPG pages for a prime viewing time period;

transmitting in the broadcast bandwidth the common video sequences to the plurality of terminals by way of the broadcast technique;

receiving a request for a specific video sequence from a specific terminal via the communications network;

allocating a demandcast bandwidth in the communications network for the specific video sequence; and

transmitting in the demandcast bandwidth the specific video sequence to the specific terminal via the communications network;

wherein transmitting the specific video sequence is performed using a narrowcast technique to a group of terminals that includes the specific terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the common video sequences are delivered using an in-band portion of the communications network.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the specific video sequence is delivered using the in-band portion of the communications network.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the requests are received using an out-of-band portion of the communications network.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the specific video sequence is performed using a pointcast technique.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the pointcast technique comprises a shared pointcast technique.

7. A method for managing delivery of a plurality of video sequences that comprise interactive program guide (IPG) pages, the method comprising:

predetermining a set of video sequences to be broadcast;

allocating a broadcast bandwidth within a network with a finite bandwidth for the set of video sequences;

broadcasting the set of video sequences via the broadcast bandwidth to a plurality of terminals;

receiving a request from a specific terminal for a specific video sequence that is not within the set of video sequences to be broadcast;

allocating a demandcast bandwidth within the network for the specific video sequence;

transmitting the specific video sequence via the demandcast bandwidth to the specific terminal to fulfill the request; and

predetermining a second set of video sequences to be broadcast, wherein the second set of video sequences comprises IPG pages for prime viewing time periods;

wherein transmitting the specific video sequence to the specific terminal comprises narrowcasting the specific video sequence to a group of terminals that includes the specific terminal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the broadcasting and transmitting occur by way of in-band communications in the network, and the receiving occurs by way of out-of-band communications in the network.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first set of video sequences comprises IPG pages for a current time period.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

allocating a second broadcast bandwidth within the network for the second set of video sequences; and

broadcasting via the second broadcast bandwidth the second set of video sequences to the plurality of terminals.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

predetermining a particular video sequence to be narrowcast to a group of terminals;

allocating a narrowcast bandwidth within the network for the particular video sequence; and

narrowcasting the particular video sequence via the narrowcast bandwidth to the group of terminals.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving a second request from a second specific terminal for the specific video sequence; and

transmitting the specific video sequence via the demandcast bandwidth to the second terminal,

wherein the demandcast bandwidth comprises a single stream which is used to transmit the specific video sequence to both terminals.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

one terminal from a group including both terminals finishing use of the specific video sequence; and

continuing transmission of the specific video sequence via the demandcast bandwidth.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

another terminal from the group finishing use of the specific video sequence; and

discontinuing transmission of the specific video sequence; and

making the demandcast bandwidth available for re-allocation.