System and method for multimedia content simulcast

1. A machine-readable storage medium having program code stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the operations of:

encrypting a first group of unencrypted multimedia channels using conditional access (“CA”) encryption to produce a first group of encrypted multimedia channels;

encrypting said first group of unencrypted multimedia channels using a different type of encryption to produce a second group of encrypted multimedia channels; and

simulcasting said first group of encrypted multimedia channels simultaneously with said second group of encrypted multimedia channels to a plurality of multimedia subscribers having either a new multimedia receiver or a legacy multimedia receiver, said second group of encrypted multimedia channels being decryptable by said new multimedia receivers and said first group of encrypted multimedia channels being decryptable by said legacy multimedia receivers.

2. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 1 wherein said different type of encryption is digital video broadcast (“DVB”) encryption.

3. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 1 wherein said first group of unencrypted multimedia channels are subscription based channels.

4. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 1 having program code stored thereon to cause said processor to perform the additional operations of:

compressing said first group of encrypted multimedia channels using a first compression type and said second group of encrypted multimedia channels using a second compression type.

5. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 4 wherein said first compression type is MPEG-2.

6. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 5 wherein said second compression type is MPEG-4.

7. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 1 having program code stored thereon to cause said processor to perform the additional operations of:

transmitting a second group of unencrypted multimedia channels in an unencrypted format.

8. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 7 wherein said second group of unencrypted multimedia channels are basic cable channels and said first group of unencrypted multimedia channels are subscription-based cable channels.

9. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 8 having program code stored thereon to cause said processor to perform the additional operations of:

encrypting a first subset of said basic cable channels using said first type of encryption to produce a first group of encrypted basic cable channels;

encrypting said first subset of said basic cable channels using said different type of encryption to produce a second group of encrypted basic cable channels; and

concurrently transmitting said first group of encrypted basic cable channels with said second group of encrypted basic cable channels to said plurality of multimedia subscribers.

10. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 9 having program code stored thereon to cause said processor to perform the additional operations of:

transmitting a second subset of said basic cable channels in an unencrypted format.

11. The machine-readable storage medium as in claim 10 having program code stored thereon to cause said processor to perform the additional operations of:

regularly transferring channels from said first subset of basic cable channels to said second subset of basic cable channels and channels from said second subset of basic cable to said first subset of basic cable channels.

12. A headend system for processing multimedia streams comprising:

a first encryption module to encrypt a plurality of first multimedia streams using conditional access (“CA”) encryption; and

a second encryption module to encrypt said same plurality of first multimedia streams using a different type of encryption; and

a quadrature amplitude modulation module to modulate said plurality of first multimedia streams encrypted in both CA encryption and said different type of encryption for simulcasting to a plurality of multimedia subscribers at the same time, the plurality of multimedia subscribers having either a new multimedia receiver or a legacy multimedia receiver, each new multimedia receiver being capable of decrypting said plurality of first multimedia streams encrypted in said different type of encryption and each legacy multimedia receiver being capable of decrypting said plurality of first multimedia streams encrypted in said CA encryption.

13. The headend system as in claim 12 wherein said different type of encryption is digital video broadcast (“DVB”) encryption.

14. The headend system as in claim 12 wherein said plurality of first multimedia streams are premium cable channels.

15. The headend system as in claim 12 further comprising:

a first compression module to employ a first type of compression on said plurality of first multimedia streams encrypted using said first compression type; and

a second compression module to employ a second type of compression on said plurality of first multimedia streams encrypted using said second compression type.

16. A computer-implemented method for processing multimedia channels comprising:

encrypting a number of unencrypted multimedia channels at a headend using condition access (“CA”) encryption to produce a first group of encrypted multimedia channels;

simultaneously encrypting the same unencrypted multimedia channels at the headend using a different type of encryption to produce a second group of encrypted multimedia channels;

simulcasting said first group of encrypted multimedia channels with said second group of multimedia channels at the same time from the headend to a plurality of multimedia subscribers each having either a new multimedia receiver or a legacy multimedia receiver, each new multimedia receiver being capable of decrypting said second group of encrypted multimedia channels and each legacy multimedia receiver being capable of decrypting said first group of encrypted multimedia channels.

17. A system comprising:

means for encrypting first channels using both conditional access (“CA”) encryption and a different form of encryption; and

means for simulcasting said first channels encrypted in both CA encryption and said different form of encryption to subscribers simultaneously, the subscribers having either a new multimedia receiver or a legacy multimedia receiver, said first channels encrypted using said different form of encryption being decryptable by said new multimedia receivers and said first channels encrypted using said CA encryption being decryptable by said legacy multimedia receivers.

18. A method for deploying new multimedia receivers comprising:

encrypting a first set of channels using a first type of encryption;

encrypting said first set of channels using a second type of encryption; and

simultaneously broadcasting said encrypted sets of channels that have been respectively encrypted in said first type of encryption and said second type of encryption to subscribers having either a new multimedia receiver or a legacy multimedia receiver;

said channels encrypted using said second type of encryption being decryptable by said new multimedia receivers and said channels encrypted using said first type of encryption being decryptable by said legacy multimedia receivers.

19. The method as in claim 18 further comprising:

transmitting a specified group of channels using no encryption.

20. The method as in claim 19 wherein said specified group of channels comprise basic cable channels and said first set of channels comprise premium channels.