Transcoding system and method

1. A method of providing streaming content to a user device, amongst a plurality of user devices, the method comprising:

providing a gateway having a plurality of transcoders and said plurality of user devices registered to said gateway;

associating a different transcoder from amongst said plurality of transcoders to each of said plurality of user devices in a record comprising details of computing resources and screen capabilities of said plurality of user devices, wherein a transcoder, of said plurality of transcoders, has a single encoder and a single decoder, and wherein said transcoder is configured to adapt said streaming content to a plurality of bit rates;

advertising multiple bit rates, of said plurality of bit rates, to said user device registered to said gateway;

said gateway assigning said transcoder to said user device in said record, wherein said transcoder is not associated with another user device of said plurality of user devices;

said user device requesting said streaming content at a first bit rate, of said advertised multiple bit rates, from said gateway;

said gateway instructing said transcoder to provide said streaming content at said first bit rate requested by said user device, wherein said transcoder provides said streaming content, at said first bit rate requested by said user device, only to said user device;

said transcoder transcoding said streaming content at said first bit rate requested by said user device;

said user device requesting said streaming content at a second bit rate, of said advertised multiple bit rates, from said gateway, wherein said second bit rate is different from said first bit rate;

said gateway instructing said transcoder to provide said streaming content at said second bit rate requested by said user device, wherein said transcoder provides said streaming content, at said second bit rate requested by said user device, only to said user device; and said transcoder transcoding said streaming content at said second bit rate requested by said user device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transcoder is within a media server within said gateway.

3. A system for providing a plurality of bit rates, the system comprising:

a gateway having a plurality of transcoders and a media server; and

a plurality of user devices, wherein each of said plurality of user devices is registered to said gateway, wherein a different transcoder from amongst said plurality of transcoders is associated with each of said plurality of user devices in a record comprising details of computing resources and screen capabilities of said plurality of user devices, wherein a transcoder, of said plurality of transcoders, has a single encoder and a single decoder, and wherein said transcoder is configured to adapt streaming content to said plurality of bit rates;

wherein said gateway is configured to:

advertise multiple bit rates, of said plurality of bit rates, to a user device of said plurality of user devices registered to said gateway; and

assign said transcoder to said user device in said record, wherein said transcoder is not associated with another user device of said plurality of user devices;

wherein said user device is configured to request said streaming content at a first bit rate, of said advertised multiple bit rates, from said gateway;

wherein said gateway is further configured to instruct said transcoder to provide said streaming content at said first bit rate requested by said user device, wherein said streaming content, at said first bit rate requested by said user device, is provided by said transcoder only to said user device, and wherein said streaming content at said first bit rate requested by said user device is transcoded by said transcoder;

wherein said user device is further configured to request said streaming content at a second bit rate, of said advertised multiple bit rates, from said gateway, wherein said second bit rate is different from said first bit rate; and

wherein said gateway is further configured to instruct said transcoder to provide said streaming content at said second bit rate requested by said user device, wherein said streaming content, at said second bit rate requested by said user device, is provided by said transducer only to said user device, and wherein said streaming content at said second bit rate requested by said user device is transcoded by said transcoder.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein each of said plurality of transcoders includes an associated encoder and decoder pair, and wherein each of said encoder and decoder pair is only associated with one of said plurality of transcoders.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein one of said plurality of user devices requests said streaming content to be delivered to said user device and said another user device at a bit rate provided by said associated transcoder, and wherein said streaming content from said associated transcoder is provided by said media server to said user device and said another user device both at said bit rate.