Method And Apparatus For Transmitting Video Signals
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for transmitting, multicasting, or broadcasting video signals from a video source to one or more remotely located computers and/or video clients. Specifically, the disclosed method and apparatus effectively digitizes and compresses received video signals such that they may be transmitted with other digitized signals directly or via a network, such as the Internet, to a multitude of computers and/or independent video display devices. The video transmission system is also capable of receiving video signals from a non-networked computer that does not require any hardware or software modifications to be compatible with the video transmission system. The disclosed video transmission system operates independently (i.e., does not require a service provider) and is capable of recording video transmissions.
1 . A method for transmitting video signals via a video transmission system comprising the steps of:
receiving said video signals from a non-networked video origination device;
transmitting said video signals to one or more video receiving devices via a network; and
wherein said video origination device does not require hardware or software modifications to be compatible with said video transmission system.
2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said video receiving device is selected from the group consisting of a standalone computer, a networked computer, a standalone device having a processor, a networked device having a processor, a networked client device of said video transmission system, and a non-networked client device of said video transmission system.
3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said network is selected from the group consisting of the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and a wireless network.
4 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the operating systems of said video origination device and said video receiving devices comprises more than one type of operating system.
5 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
authenticating the identity of said video receiving device; and
authorizing said video receiving device to receive said video signals.
6 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
displaying said video signals on a video display unit coupled to said video receiving device.
7 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
converting said video signals from analog to digital.
8 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
filtering said video signals.
9 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
compressing said video signals.
10 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
decompressing said video signals.
11 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
recording said video signals;
wherein said recorded video signals may be played back subsequent to said recording.
12 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said transmitting comprises one of the group consisting of multicasting and broadcasting.
13 . A method for transmitting video signals via a video transmission system comprising the steps of:
receiving said video signals from a video origination device;
transmitting said video signals to at least one non-networked video receiving device; and
transmitting said video signals to at least one networked video receiving device.
14 . A method according to claim 13 , wherein said video origination device does not require hardware or software modifications to be compatible with said video transmission system.
15 . A method according to claim 13 , wherein said video receiving device is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a device having a processor, and a client device of said video transmission system.
16 . A method according to claim 13 , wherein said network is selected from the group consisting of the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and a wireless network.
17 . A method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
displaying said video signals on a video display unit coupled to said video receiving device.
18 . A method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
converting said video signals from analog to digital.
19 . A method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
filtering said video signals.
20 . A method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
compressing said video signals.