Audiovisual content item data streams

1. A method of generating an audio signal for an audiovisual content item, the method comprising:

receiving an audiovisual content item data stream comprising a plurality of individual audiovisual data streams, the plurality of individual audiovisual data streams comprising audiovisual components for an audiovisual content item, each audiovisual data stream comprising:

encoded data representing at least one audiovisual component and synchronization data, wherein the audiovisual content item data stream comprises:

a first audiovisual data stream comprising first audio data for an audio representation for the audiovisual content item, the first audio data comprising mandatory audio data and replaceable audio data;

extracting the mandatory audio data from the first audio data;

generating an audio data processing descriptor for second audio data of at least one of the individual audiovisual data streams, wherein the audio data processing descriptor is indicative of the second audio data being one of: alternative audio data and additional audio data

replacing the replaceable audio data by the second audio data, when said audio data processing descriptor indicates the second audio data is indicated as alternative;

generating the audio signal from the mandatory audio data and the replaceable audio data, and, when the audio data processing descriptor indicates that the second audio data is additional audio data, the additional audio data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating the audio signal comprises:

decoding the mandatory audio data in a first audio decoder to generate a first decoded audio signal;

decoding the alternative audio data in a second audio decoder to generate a second decoded audio signal; and

generating the audio signal in response to combining at least the first decoded audio signal and the second decoded audio signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the audiovisual content item data stream comprises:

a content item map table, the content item map table for a content item comprising a list of audiovisual data stream packet identifiers for data packets for audiovisual data streams linked to the content item, the content item map table comprising:

a common data stream packet identifier for the content item for a set of at least two of the plurality of individual audiovisual data streams, wherein the method further comprises the step of extracting audio data for the content item in response to the common data stream packet identifier.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the content item map table comprises a plurality of secondary packet identifiers for the common data stream packet identifier, each secondary packet identifier identifying an individual audiovisual data stream of the set of at least two of the plurality of individual audiovisual data streams, wherein the step of extracting audio data for the content item comprises extracting audio data for different audio components in response to the secondary packet identifiers.

5. An apparatus for generating an audio signal for an audiovisual content item, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to:

receive an audiovisual content item data stream comprising:

a plurality of individual audiovisual data streams, the plurality of individual audiovisual data streams comprising:

audiovisual components for an audiovisual content item; each audiovisual data stream comprising encoded data representing at least one audiovisual component and synchronization data, wherein the audiovisual content item data stream comprises a first audiovisual data stream comprising first audio data representative of the audiovisual content item, the first audio data comprising mandatory audio component containing mandatory data and replaceable audio component containing replaceable audio data;

generate an audio data processing descriptor for second audio data of at least one of the audiovisual data streams, wherein the audio data processing descriptor is indicative of the second audio data being one of: alternative audio data and additional audio data;

an audio decoder comprising:

an audio data processing descriptor extractor configured to:

extract from the audio data processing descriptor the indication of the second audio data being one of: alternative audio data and additional audio data; and

extract the mandatory audio component from the first audio data;

a retriever configured to:

retrieve the second audio data as alternative audio data when the audio data processing descriptor indicates that the second audio data is alternative audio data; and

a replacer configured to:

replace the replaceable audio data in the replaceable audio component by the second audio data when the second audio data is designated as alternative audio data; and

an outputter configured to:

generate the audio signal by combining the mandatory audio data of the mandatory audio component, audio data contained in the replaceable audio component and, when the audio data processing descriptor indicates that the second audio data is additional audio data, the additional audio data.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the audio data processing descriptor is indicative of whether the second audio data replaces the replaceable data.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the receiver is configured to:

generate the audio data processing descriptor from a second audio data processing descriptor received in the audiovisual content item data stream.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the receiver is arranged to copy the second audio data processing descriptor to the second audiovisual data stream.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the audio data processing descriptor is comprised in a content item map table, the content item map table for a content item comprising a list of audiovisual data stream packet identifiers of data packets for audiovisual data streams linked to the content item.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the audiovisual content item data stream comprises:

a plurality of possible audio data processing descriptors for the second audio data wherein the receiver is configured to:

select the audio data processing descriptor from the plurality of possible audio data processing descriptors.

11. An apparatus for generating an audio output, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an audiovisual content item data stream comprising a plurality of individual audiovisual data streams, the plurality of individual audiovisual data streams comprising audiovisual components for an audiovisual content item, and

means for generating an audio data processing descriptor for second audio data of at least one of the individual audiovisual data streams, wherein the audio data processing descriptor is indicative of the second audio data being one of: alternative audio data and additional audio data;

means for encoding:

a first audiovisual data stream comprising first audio data for an audio representation for the audiovisual content item, the first audio data comprising mandatory audio data and replaceable audio data;

means for replacing the replaceable audio data by the second audio data when the second audio data is designated as alternative audio data; and

means for outputting the audio signal comprising the mandatory audio data, the replaceable audio data and, when the audio data processing descriptor indicates that the second audio data is additional audio data, the additional audio data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the replaceable audio data is speech data.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the replaceable audio data and the alternative audio data are a same audio content encoded using different encoding schemes.