Method and apparatus for communicating electronic service guide information in a satellite television system

1. A system comprising:

one or more circuits comprising a demodulator, said one or more circuits being operable to:

receive a satellite signal via a first interface;

receive data from a network via a second interface;

channelize said received satellite signal into a plurality of channels, wherein a first channel of said plurality of channels carries electronic service guide (ESG) data; and

select which of said plurality of channels to input to said demodulator based, at least in part, on whether ESG data is available via said second interface, wherein:

a second channel of said plurality of channels carries media data;

while said ESG data is available via said second interface, said second channel is input to said demodulator and said demodulator is utilized for processing said media data, and not ESG data; and

while said ESG data is not available via said second interface, said second channel is not input to said demodulator and said demodulator is utilized for processing said ESG data, and not said media data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

said plurality of channels comprises J channels, including J−1 media channels, wherein J is an integer greater than 1;

said second channel is one of said J−1 media channels;

said demodulator is one of J−1 demodulators of said one or more circuits;

when said demodulator is utilized for processing said second channel, J−1 demodulated media channels are output by said one or more circuits; and

when said demodulator is utilized for processing said first channel, J−2 demodulated media channels are output by said one or more circuits.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:

said first interface is operable to receive said satellite signal from a satellite dish via a first link that uses a first physical layer standard; and

said second interface is operable to receive said data from said network via a second link that uses a second physical layer standard.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said one or more circuits are operable to power up and power down said demodulator based, at least in part, on whether ESG data is available via said second interface.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said one or more circuits are operable to:

receive ESG data via said first interface and supplemental ESG data via said second interface; and

append said supplemental ESG data received via said second interface to said ESG data received via said first interface.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said one or more circuits are operable to:

demodulate, via said demodulator, said first channel to recover said ESG data carried on said first channel; and

process at least a portion of said plurality of channels utilizing said ESG data recovered from said first channel and said supplemental ESG data received via said second interface.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said one or more circuits are operable to configure said demodulator based on received ESG data.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said one or more circuits are operable to:

demodulate, via said demodulator, said first channel to recover said ESG data; and

transmit said recovered ESG data via said second interface.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said recovered ESG data is packetized and transmitted into an in-home wireline or wireless network in the form of physical layer symbols formatted in accordance with Ethernet or Multimedia over Coax (MoCA) standards.

10. A method comprising:

in a satellite communication system:

receiving a satellite signal via a first interface of said satellite communication system;

receiving data from a network via a second interface of said satellite communication system;

channelizing said received satellite signal into a plurality of channels, wherein a first channel of said plurality of channels carries electronic service guide (ESG) data;

detecting whether said data received via said second interface comprises ESG data;

selecting said first channel for input to a demodulator if said detecting reveals that said data received via said second interface does not comprise ESG data; and

selecting a second channel of said plurality of channels, which carries media data, for input to said demodulator if said detecting reveals that said data received via said second interface does comprise ESG data.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein an input to said demodulator is time division multiplexed between said first channel and said second channel.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

said receiving of said satellite signal is via a first link using a first physical layer standard; and

said receiving of said data from said network is via a second link that uses a second physical layer standard.

13. The method of claim 10 , comprising controlling supply power provided to said demodulator based, at least in part, on whether ESG data is available via said second interface.

14. The method of claim 10 , comprising receiving supplemental ESG data via said second interface.

15. The method of claim 14 , comprising:

demodulating, via said demodulator, said first channel to recover said ESG data carried on said first channel; and

processing at least a portion of said plurality of channels utilizing said ESG data recovered from said first channel and said supplemental ESG data received via said second interface.

16. The method of claim 10 , comprising configuring said demodulator based on received ESG data.

17. The method of claim 10 , comprising:

demodulating, via said demodulator, said first channel to recover said ESG data; and

transmitting said recovered ESG data via said second interface.

18. The method of claim 17 , comprising transmitting said recovered ESG data into an in-home wireline or wireless network.