System and method for selectively transcoding signal from one format to one of plurality of formats

1. A device for use with an input signal and a selecting signal, the input signal having a first format, the selecting signal having a first state and a second state, said device comprising:

a receiving portion operable to receive the input signal and output a received signal;

a transcoder portion arranged to receive the selecting signal provided by at least one of a content provider and a service provider, wherein said transcoder portion comprises a selector, a first transcoder and a second transcoder, wherein said selector is arranged to receive the selecting signal and is operable to output a signal to the first transcoder when the selecting signal is in the first state and to output the signal to the second transcoder when the selecting signal is in the second state,

wherein the first transcoder is operable to transcode the signal to output a first transcoded signal, and

wherein the second transcoder is operable to transcode the signal to output a second transcoded signal; and

a transmitter portion operable to output a first transmission signal based on the first transcoded signal when the selecting signal is in the first state and to output a second transmission signal based on the second transcoded signal when the selecting signal is in the second state,

the transcoder portion being programmable to operate according to a first configuration and a second configuration,

wherein in the first configuration, the first transcoded signal has a first format type and the second transcoded signal has a second format type different from the first format type, and in the first configuration the transmitter portion outputs the first transmission signal for receipt by a first end user display device located in a first geographical region and outputs the second transmission signal for receipt by a second end user display device located in a second geographical region, the first format type being based on the first geographical region and the second format type being based on the second geographical region, the first geographical region being different from the second geographical region,

wherein in the second configuration, the first and second transcoded signals have the same format type and contain the same content with different content resolutions, the transcoder portion synchronizing the output of the first and second transcoded signals in the second configuration such that the first and second transcoded signals are receivable at a receiving device in synchronization,

wherein each of the first and second transcoders are reprogrammable to transcode the signal from the selector into a format type different from a prior transcoded format type.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a decoder portion arranged to receive the received signal and operable to decode the received signal and output a decoded signal,

wherein said selector of said transcoder portion is additionally arranged to receive the decoded signal, wherein the signal output by the selector and received by the first and second transcoders is the decoded signal.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein after reprogramming the first and second transcoders in the first configuration the first transcoded signal has a third format and the second transcoded signal has a fourth format, and each of the first, second, third, and fourth formats are different from each other.

4. The device of claim 1 , further including an authenticator operative to authenticate security and privileges associated with a downstream receiver device prior to outputting at least one of the first and second transcoded signals to the downstream receiver device.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the selecting signal is a multi-bit signal including a first bit operable to enable and disable the first transcoder portion and a second bit operable to enable and disable the second transcoder portion, wherein in the first state the first bit enables the first transcoder portion and in the second state the second bit enables the second transcoder portion.

6. A method of using an input signal and a selecting signal at a device, the input signal having a first format, the selecting signal having a first state and a second state, said method comprising:

receiving, via a receiving portion, the input signal;

outputting, via the receiving portion, a received signal;

receiving, via a transcoder portion, the selecting signal provided by at least one of a content provider and a service provider, the transcoder portion comprising a selector, a first transcoder and a second transcoder, the selector being arranged to receive the selecting signal;

outputting, via the selector, a signal to the first transcoder when the selecting signal is in the first state and to the second transcoder when the selecting signal is in the second state;

outputting, via the first transcoder, a first transcoded signal based on the signal when the selecting signal is in the first state;

outputting, via the second transcoder, a second transcoded signal based on the signal when the selecting signal is in the second state;

outputting, via a transmitter portion, a first transmission signal based on the first transcoded signal when the selecting signal is in the first state; and

outputting, via the transmitter portion, a second transmission signal based on the second transcoded signal when the selecting signal is in the second state,

the transcoder portion being programmable to operate according to a first configuration and a second configuration,

wherein in the first configuration, the first transcoded signal has a first format type and the second transcoded signal has a second format type different from the first format type, and the transmitter portion outputs the first transmission signal for receipt by a first end user display device located in a first geographical region and outputs the second transmission signal for receipt by a second end user display device located in a second geographical region, the first format type being based on the first geographical region and the second format type being based on the second geographical region, the first geographical region being different from the second geographical region,

wherein in the second configuration, the first transcoded signal and the second transcoded signal have the same format type and contain the same content with different content resolutions, the transcoder portion synchronizing the output of the first and second transcoded signals in the second configuration such that the first and second transcoded signals are receivable at a receiving device in synchronization; and

reprogramming each of the first and second transcoders to transcode the signal into a format different from a prior transcoded format.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

receiving, via a decoder portion, the received signal;

decoding, via the decoder portion, the received signal;

outputting, via the decoder portion, a decoded signal; and

receiving, via the selector of the transcoder portion, the decoded signal, wherein the signal output by the selector and received by the first and second transcoders is the decoded signal.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein in the first configuration, after the reprogramming, the first transcoded signal has a third format and the second transcoded signal has a fourth format, and each of the first, second, third, and fourth formats are different from each other.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selecting signal is a multi-bit signal including a first bit operable to enable and disable the first transcoder portion and a second bit operable to enable and disable the second transcoder portion, wherein in the first state the first bit enables the first transcoder portion and in the second state the second bit enables the second transcoder portion, the selecting signal further including a third state wherein at least one of the first bit disables the first transcoder portion and the second bit disables the second transcoder portion.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions being capable of being read by a computer to use an input signal and a selecting signal, the input signal having a first format, the selecting signal having a first state and a second state, the computer-readable instructions being capable of instructing the computer to perform the method comprising:

receiving, via a receiving portion, the input signal;

outputting, via the receiving portion, a received signal;

receiving, via a transcoder portion, the selecting signal provided by at least one of a content provider and a service provider, the transcoder portion comprising a selector, a first transcoder and a second transcoder, the selector being arranged to receive the selecting signal;

outputting, via the selector, a signal to the first transcoder when the selecting signal is in the first state and to the second transcoder when the selecting signal is in the second state;

outputting, via the first transcoder, a first transcoded signal based on the signal when the selecting signal is in the first state;

outputting, via the second transcoder, a second transcoded signal based on the signal when the selecting signal is in the second state;

outputting, via a transmitter portion, a first transmission signal based on the first transcoded signal when the selecting signal is in the first state; and

outputting, via the transmitter portion, a second transmission signal based on the second transcoded signal when the selecting signal is in the second state,

the transcoder portion being programmable to operate according to a first configuration and a second configuration,

wherein in the first configuration, the first transcoded signal has a first format type and the second transcoded signal has a second format type different from the first format type, and the transmitter portion outputs the first transmission signal for receipt by a first end user display device located in a first geographical region and outputs the second transmission signal for receipt by a second end user display device located in a second geographical region, the first format type being based on the first geographical region and the second format type being based on the second geographical region, the first geographical region being different from the second geographical region,

wherein in the second configuration, the first transcoded signal and the second transcoded signal have the same format type and contain the same content with different content resolutions, the transcoder portion synchronizing the output of the first and second transcoded signals in the second configuration such that the first and second transcoded signals are receivable at a receiving device in synchronization; and

reprogramming each of the first and second transcoders to transcode the signal into a format different from a prior transcoded format.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 10 , the computer-readable instructions being capable of instructing the computer to perform said method further comprising:

receiving, via a decoder portion, the received signal;

decoding, via the decoder portion, the received signal;

outputting, via the decoder portion, a decoded signal; and

receiving, via the selector of the transcoder portion, the decoded signal, wherein the signal output by the selector and received by the first and second transcoders is the decoded signal.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein in the first configuration, after the reprogramming, the first transcoded signal has a third format and the second transcoded signal has a fourth format, and each of the first, second, third, and fourth formats are different from each other.