Server for providing television and system and method for use of same
A sever for providing television and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the server includes a network interface controller that is configured to receive a source internet protocol television signal, which includes two channels, from an external source and at least partially prepare the source internet protocol signal in order to forward the signal to a television. The server saves in a buffer the at least partially prepared second channel beginning at a recent periodic, sequential signal access point. In response to receiving a channel request instruction from a requesting television when the server is forwarding the at least partially prepared first channel signal, the server forwards the at least partially prepared signal based on the second channel stored in the buffer beginning at the recent periodic, sequential signal access point.
1. A system for providing digital media, the system comprising:
a programming interface configured to communicate with a network interface controller of a server, the server providing digital media to multiple endpoints, the network interface controller interconnected to a plurality of receiving queues, each of the plurality of receiving queues having a respective buffer, a respective decryption device, and a respective decoder;
the network interface controller configured to receive a source digital content from an external source, the source digital content including a plurality of data streams, each of the plurality of data streams having periodic, sequential signal access points that permit tuning initiation;
the network interface controller being associated with non-transitory memory accessible to a processor, the non-transitory memory including first processor-executable instructions that, when executed, by the processor cause the system to:
receive the plurality of data streams simultaneously, each of the plurality of data streams of the source digital content being assigned to one of the plurality of receiving queues,
receive and at least partially prepare a first data stream from the plurality of data streams of the source digital content,
provide an at least partially prepared first data stream signal,
receive and at least partially prepare a second data stream from the plurality of data streams of the source digital content,
provide an at least partially prepared second data stream signal, and
start decryption and decoding of the at least partially prepared first data stream and the at least partially prepared second data stream; and
the non-transitory memory accessible to the processor, the non-transitory memory including second processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the system to:
buffer in the buffer the at least partially prepared second data stream signal,
track in the buffer the at least partially prepared second data stream signal beginning at a recent periodic, sequential signal access point,
in response to receiving a data stream request instruction from a requesting endpoint of the multiple endpoints, access from the buffer the at least partially prepared second data stream signal beginning at the recent periodic, sequential signal access point, and
transform the at least partially prepared second data stream signal to a fully prepared second data stream signal, the transformation including decryption and decoding.
2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the server is co-located with the multiple endpoints at a location.
3. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the server is remotely located from the multiple endpoints.
4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multiple endpoints are co-located at a single location.
5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multiple endpoints are located across multiple locations.
6. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least partially prepared second data stream signal is a fully prepared second data stream signal.
7. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least partially prepared second data stream signal is a fully prepared second data stream signal.
8. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the source digital content further includes a protocol suite over a packet-switched network.
9. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first data stream includes on-demand content.
10. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first data stream includes live programming content.
11. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first data stream includes pre-buffered content.
12. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the processor-executable instructions to track in the buffer, the at least partially prepared second data stream beginning at the recent periodic, sequential signal access point further include processor-executable instructions causing the system to: make available for deletion a portion of a buffered, at least partially prepared second data stream in the buffer previous to the most recent, periodic, sequential signal access point.
13. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the processor-executable instructions to track in the buffer, the at least partially prepared second data stream beginning at the recent periodic, sequential signal access point further include processor-executable instructions causing the system to: make available for over-write the portion of a buffered, at least partially prepared second data stream in the buffer previous to the most recent, periodic, sequential signal access point.
14. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the network interface controller is dynamically assigned a data stream.
15. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the network interface controller is assigned a frequently accessed data stream.
16. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions to track in the buffer, the at least partially prepared second data stream beginning at the recent periodic, sequential signal access point further include processor-executable instructions causing the system to: track in the buffer, the at least partially prepared second data stream beginning at the most recent, periodic, sequential signal access point.
17. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions to track in the buffer, the at least partially prepared second data stream beginning at the recent, periodic, sequential signal access point further include processor-executable instructions causing the system to: track in the buffer, the at least partially prepared second data stream beginning at a first periodic, sequential signal access point, and track in the buffer, the at least partially prepared second data stream beginning at a second periodic, sequential signal access point, the second periodic, sequential signal access point being subsequent in time to the first periodic, sequential signal access point.
18. A system for disseminating digital content, the system comprising:
a communication interface structured to interact with a network interface controller of a computational entity, the computational entity disseminating digital content to multiple endpoints, the network interface controller interconnected to multiple queues, each of the multiple queues having a respective storage, a respective decryption component, and a respective decoder;
the network interface controller structured to receive a source digital content stream from an external source, the source digital content stream including multiple data streams, each of the multiple data streams having periodic, sequential access points that permit tuning initiation;
the network interface controller being associated with non-transitory memory accessible to the computational entity, the non-transitory memory including first instructions that, when executed, by the computational entity cause the system to:
receive multiple data streams simultaneously, each of the multiple data streams of the source digital content stream being assigned to one of the multiple queues,
receive and at least partially prepare a first data stream from the multiple data streams of the source digital content stream, provide an at least partially prepared first data stream signal, and
receive and at least partially prepare a second data stream from the multiple data streams of the source digital content stream, provide an at least partially prepared second data stream signal, and
start decryption and decoding of the at least partially prepared first data stream and the at least partially prepared second data stream; and
the non-transitory memory accessible to the computational unit, the non-transitory memory including second instructions that, when executed, cause the system to:
store in the storage the at least partially prepared second data stream signal,
track in the storage the at least partially prepared second data stream signal beginning at a recent periodic, sequential signal access point,
in response to receiving a data stream request instruction from a requesting endpoint of the multiple endpoints, access from the storage the at least partially prepared second data stream signal beginning at the recent periodic, sequential signal access point; and
transform the at least partially prepared second data stream signal to a fully prepared second data stream signal, the transformation including decryption and decoding.
19. A system for disseminating digital content, the system comprising:
a communication interface structured to interact with a network interface controller of a computational entity located in a distributed computing environment, the computational entity disseminating digital content to multiple endpoints, the network interface controller interconnected to multiple queues, each of the multiple queues having a respective storage, a respective decryption component, and a respective decoder;
the network interface controller structured to receive a source digital content stream from an external source, the source digital content stream including multiple data streams, each of the multiple data streams having periodic, sequential access points that permit tuning initiation; the network interface controller including a complete network protocol stack with network traffic processing capabilities;
the network interface controller being associated with non-transitory memory accessible to the computational entity, the non-transitory memory including first instructions that, when executed, by the computational entity cause the system to:
receive multiple data streams simultaneously, each of the multiple data streams of the source digital content stream being assigned to one of the multiple queues,
receive and at least partially prepare a first data stream from the multiple data streams of the source digital content stream,
provide an at least partially prepared first data stream signal,
receive and at least partially prepare a second data stream from the multiple data streams of the source digital content stream,
provide an at least partially prepared second data stream signal, and
start decryption and decoding of the at least partially prepared first data stream and the at least partially prepared second data stream; and
the non-transitory memory accessible to the computational unit, the non-transitory memory including second instructions that, when executed, cause the system to:
store in the storage the at least partially prepared second data stream signal,
track in the storage the at least partially prepared second data stream signal beginning at a recent periodic, sequential signal access point, in response to receiving a data stream request instruction from a requesting endpoint of the multiple endpoints,
access from the storage the at least partially prepared second data stream signal beginning at the recent periodic, sequential signal access point, and
transform the at least partially prepared second data stream signal to a fully prepared second data stream signal, the transformation including decryption and decoding.