Hybrid central/distributed VOD system with tiered content structure

1. A system for selecting a network path for delivering on-demand content comprising:

a first location comprising a first media server and a resource management processor;

a second location remote from the first location comprising a second media server, wherein the first and second locations are connected via a first network segment and a second network segment;

wherein the second media server in the second location is sized to support expected peak demand for on-demand content, wherein the first media server in the first location and first network segment are sized for providing on-demand content from the first location to the second location to support an incremental demand level for on-demand content, and wherein the incremental demand level is less than the expected peak demand; and

a video termination device, wherein the video termination device is connected to the second location via a distribution network and wherein the video termination device comprises an instruction for sending a request for a particular on-demand content to the resource management processor; and

wherein the resource management processor comprises instructions for:

selecting a source from which to obtain the particular on-demand content from the first media server and the second media server in response to the request sent from the video termination device;

selecting a path over which to deliver the particular on-demand content to the video termination device; and

wherein the instruction for selecting a path comprises:

if the selected source is the second media server, then selecting the distribution network as the selected path;

if the selected source is the first media server, then selecting the first network segment, if available, and the distribution network as the selected path; and

if the selected source is the first media server and if the first path is not available, then selecting the second network segment and the distribution network as the selected path; and

wherein the selected source delivers the particular on-demand content over the selected path to the video termination device.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a third network segment and wherein the first media server delivers on-demand content to the second media server via the third network segment.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instruction for selecting a content source comprises determining if the particular on-demand content is available from the second media server and if the particular on-demand content is not available from the second media server then determining if the particular on-demand content is available from the first media server.

4. The system of claim 1 ,

wherein the system further comprises a third location that is remote from the first and second locations, and wherein the third location comprises a third media server;

wherein the third location and the first location are connected via the first and second network segments;

wherein the second location and the third location are connected via the first network segment;

wherein the resource management processor further comprises instructions for selecting a source from which to obtain the particular on-demand content from the first media server, the second media server and the third media server in response to the request sent from the video termination device;

wherein the instruction for selecting a path further comprises if the selected content source is the third media server, then selecting the first network segment and the distribution network as the selected path, wherein the first network segment transports the particular on-demand content to the second location from the third media server and wherein the particular on-demand content is delivered from the second location to the video termination device via the distribution network.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the instructions for selecting a content source comprise determining if the particular on-demand content is available from the second media server and if the particular on-demand content is not available from the second media server then determining if the particular on-demand content is available from the third media server located at the third location.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first network segment is capable of distributing an MPEG format content stream.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the content transport network is a fiber digital video broadcasting-asynchronous serial interface (DVB-ASI) network.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising an interface coupled to the first media server and the fiber DVB-AS 1 network, wherein the interface comprises instructions for converting an electrical MPEG format content stream into an optical MPEG format content stream capable of being transferred over the fiber DVB-ASI network.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the video termination device comprises a tuner and wherein the resource management processor further comprises instructions for:

receiving the request for the particular on-demand content from the video termination device;

selecting a tuner frequency at which the particular on-demand content can be received by the video termination device; and

instructing the video termination device to tune the tuner to the tuner frequency; and

wherein the video termination device further comprises instructions for:

receiving the tuner instruction from the resource management processor; and

tuning the tuner to the tuner frequency.

10. A method for selecting a network path for delivering on-demand content comprising:

a video termination device sending a request for a particular on-demand content to a first location via a second location, wherein the first location comprises a first media server and a resource management processor, wherein the video termination device is connected to a second location via a distribution network, wherein the second location is remote from the first location and comprises a second media server, wherein the first and second locations are connected via a first network segment and a second network segment, wherein the second media server in the second location is sized to support expected peak demand for on-demand content, wherein the first media server in the first location and first network segment are sized for providing on-demand content from the first location to the second location to support an incremental demand level for on-demand content, and wherein the incremental demand level is less than the expected peak demand;

the resource management processor selecting a source from which to obtain the particular on-demand content from the first media server located at the first location and the second media server located in the second location in response to the request sent from the video termination device;

the resource management processor selecting a path over which to deliver the particular on-demand content to the video termination device, wherein selecting a path comprises:

if the selected source is the second media server, then selecting the distribution network as the selected path;

if the selected source is the first media server, then selecting the first network segment, if available, and the distribution network as the selected path; and

if the selected source is the first media server and if the first path is not available, then selecting the second network segment and the distribution network as the selected path; and

the selected source delivering the particular on-demand content over the selected path to the video termination device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the first media server delivering on-demand content to the second media server via a third network segment.

12. The method of claim 10 , selecting a content source comprises determining if the particular on-demand content is available from the second media server and if the particular on-demand content is not available from the second media server then determining if the particular on-demand content is available from the first media server.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising,

the resource management processor selecting a source from which to obtain the particular on-demand content from the first media server, the second media server and a third media server located in a third location in response to the request sent from the video termination device, wherein the third location is remote from the first and second locations, wherein the third location and the first location are connected via the first and second network segments, and wherein the second location and the third location are connected via the first network segment;

and wherein selecting a path further comprises if the selected content source is the third media server, then selecting the first network segment and the distribution network as the selected path, wherein the first network segment transports the particular on-demand content to the second location from the third media server and wherein the particular on-demand content is delivered from the second location to the video termination device via the distribution network.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein selecting a content source comprises determining if the particular on-demand content is available from the second media server and if the particular on-demand content is not available from the second media server then determining if the particular on-demand content is available from the third media server located at the third location.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first network segment is capable of distributing a MPEG format content stream.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the content transport network is a fiber digital video broadcasting-asynchronous serial interface (DVB-ASI) network.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising converting an electrical MPEG format content stream into an optical MPEG format content stream capable of being transferred over the fiber DVB-ASI network.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

the resource management processor receiving the request for the particular on-demand content from the video termination device;

the resource management processor selecting a tuner frequency at which the particular on-demand content can be received by the video termination device; and

the resource management processor instructing the video termination device to tune the tuner to the tuner frequency;

the video termination device further receiving the tuner instruction from the resource management processor; and

the video termination device tuning the tuner to the tuner frequency.