Robust mode staggercasting with adjustable delay offset

1. A method for staggercasting, comprising the steps of:

encoding a first signal representing content;

encoding a second signal representing the content;

specifying a time delay period, wherein the time delay period is used as a delayed transmission time of the first encoded signal with respect to the second encoded signal; and

generating a composite signal comprising the first and second encoded signals, wherein the first encoded signal is delayed with respect to the second encoded signal by the time delay period and the composite signal further comprises a signal carrying data, the data comprising a representation of the time delay period.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data comprises a data table containing information related to the first and second encoded signals and the representation of the time delay period.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the data table is a program map table (PMT).

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the data table is a program and information system protocol-virtual channel table (PSIP-VCT).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation of the time delay period comprises a number representing a number of time intervals of predetermined length.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of encoding the first content representative signal comprises the step of using a backwards compatible encoding technique; and

the step of encoding the second content representative signal comprises the step of using an encoding technique that is relatively more robust with respect to the encoding technique used in the first content representative signal encoding step.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the step of encoding the first content representative signal comprises the step of channel encoding the first content representative signal using 8-VSB modulation; and

the step of encoding the second content representative signal comprises the step of channel encoding the second content representative signal using one of 4-VSB or 2-VSB modulation.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the step of encoding the first content representative signal further comprises the steps of source encoding the first content representative signal using MPEG 2 video compression encoding and system encoding the source encoded first content representative signal using MPEG 2 packet format; and

the step of encoding the second content representative signal further comprises the steps of source encoding the second content representative signal using JVT video compression encoding and system encoding the source encoded second content representative signal using MPEG 2 packet format.

9. A staggercasting receiver, for receiving a composite signal comprising an encoded first signal representing content, and an encoded second signal representing the content wherein the first encoded signal is delayed with respect to the second encoded signal by a specified time delay period, and a signal carrying data, the data comprising a representation of the specified time delay period, the staggercasting receiver comprising:

a demultiplexer, responsive to the composite signal, for extracting the first and second encoded signals and the time delay period signal;

a selector, responsive to the extracted first and second encoded signals; and

a delay device, coupled between the demultiplexer and the selector, responsive to the extracted time delay period signal for delaying the extracted second encoded signal by the specified time delay period, whereby the extracted first and second encoded signals are realigned in time.

10. The receiver of claim 9 wherein the data comprises a data table containing information related to the first and second encoded signals and the representation of the time delay period.

11. The receiver of claim 10 wherein the data table is a program map table (PMT).

12. The receiver of claim 11 wherein the data table is a program and information systems protocol-virtual channel table (PSIP-VCT).

13. The receiver of claim 9 wherein the first encoded signal is encoded using a backwards compatible encoding technique and the second encoded signal is encoded using an encoding technique that is relatively more robust with respect to the first encoding technique.

14. The receiver of claim 13 , wherein the first encoded signal is channel encoded using 8-VSB modulation and the second encoded signal is channel encoded using one of 4-VSB or 2-VSB modulation, further comprising:

a channel decoder, responsive to the composite signal, for channel decoding the first encoded signal using 8-VSB demodulation and decoding the second encoded signal using one of 4-VSB or 2-VSB demodulation.

15. The receiver of claim 14 , wherein the first encoded signal is source encoded using MPEG 2 video compression encoding and system encoded using MPEG 2 packet format, and the second encoded signal is source encoded using JVT video compression encoding and system encoded using MPEG 2 packet format; and further comprising:

a decoder, coupled to the channel decoder, for system decoding the first encoded signal using MPEG 2 packet format, source decoding the first encoded signal using MPEG 2 source decoding, system decoding the second encoded signal using MPEG 2 packet format, and source decoding the second encoded signal using JVT source decoding.

16. The receiver according to claim 9 , wherein the encoded first and second signals are channel encoded, and wherein

one of the channel coded first and second signals exhibits more robust channel coding than the other of said first and second signals.