Emulated television tuner

1. A method for obtaining video content, the method comprising:

mapping a first plurality of content sources on an emulated non-Internet Protocol (non-IP) based video delivery network to a second plurality of content sources on an Internet Protocol (IP) based video delivery network, wherein mapping the first plurality of content sources on the emulated non-IP based video delivery network to the second plurality of content sources on the IP based video delivery network further comprises emulating a television tuner on a computing device, the emulated television tuner including functionality to obtain television content over the IP based video delivery network;

receiving, at the computing device, a video delivery network request indicating a first content source of the first plurality of content sources on the emulated non-IP based video delivery network;

determining, based on the mapping, whether a second content source from the second plurality of content sources on the IP based video delivery network matches the first content source;

in response to determining that the second content source matches the first content source, obtaining at the computing device, video content from the second content source, over the IP based video delivery network; and

executing, by the computing device, an operating system, wherein the operating system interacts directly with the emulated television tuner only through the operating system's standard APIs configured for television tuning in the emulated non-IP based television delivery network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emulated non-IP based video delivery network includes a television delivery network.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

merging unicast and multicast streams of the television content; and

transforming the merged streams into a standard broadcast television stream for consumption by the operating system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

enabling the operating system to request the television content via one or more television channels using channel change functionality.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IP based television delivery network is not aware that the emulated television tuner is emulated through execution of software.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating system is not configured to consume both unicast and multicast streams.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing the television content in an encrypted state, wherein the television content is configured to be decrypted by a hardware decryption functionality of a content rendering device of the computing device and is not configured to be decrypted by the operating system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first content source on the non-IP based video delivery network is configured to be communicated to a computing device in accordance with one or more MPEG2 transport stream protocols.

9. A system for obtaining video content, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to:

map a first plurality of content sources on an emulated non-Internet Protocol (non-IP) based video delivery network to a second plurality of content sources on an Internet Protocol (IP) based video delivery network, wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when mapping the first plurality of content sources on the emulated non-IP based video delivery network to the second plurality of content sources on the IP based video delivery network, to emulate a television tuner on a computing device, the emulated television tuner including functionality to obtain television content over the IP based video delivery network;

receive at the computing device, a video delivery network request indicating a first content source of the first plurality of content sources on the emulated non-IP based video delivery network;

determine, based on the mapping, whether a second content source from the second plurality of content sources on the IP based video delivery network matches the first content source;

in response to determining that the second content source matches the first content source, obtain at the computing device, video content from the second content source, over the IP based video delivery network; and

execute an operating system at the computing device, wherein the operating system interacts directly with the emulated television tuner only through the operating system's standard APIs configured for television tuning in the emulated non-IP based television delivery network.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the emulated non-IP based video delivery network includes a television delivery network.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

merge unicast and multicast streams of the television content; and

transform the merged streams into a standard broadcast television stream for consumption by the operating system.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

enable the operating system to request the television content via one or more television channels using channel change functionality.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the IP based television delivery network is not aware that the emulated television tuner is emulated through execution of software.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operating system is not configured to consume both unicast and multicast streams.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

provide the television content in an encrypted state, wherein the television content is configured to be decrypted by a hardware decryption functionality of a content rendering device of the computing device and is not configured to be decrypted by the operating system.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first content source on the non-IP based video delivery network is configured to be communicated to a computing device in accordance with one or more MPEG2 transport stream protocols.