Reducing latency during service change and improving robustness in advanced television systems committee (ATSC) 3.0 system

1. A digital television system comprising:

at least one receiver of digital television content with segment timeline signaling, the receiver being programmed with instructions to configure the receiver to:

identify a command to tune to a first service not currently tuned to;

responsive to the command, access a service list table (SLT) to identify a computer network location at which to obtain information pertaining to accessing segments of a broadcast media presentation description (MPD) associated with the first service;

remove at least a last “N” segments from a segment timeline data structure in the MPD associated with the first service, wherein “N” is an integer at least equal to one, to render a truncated MPD having a last segment;

use the information pertaining to accessing segments associated with the first service to access, on the computer network, the last segment in the truncated MPD;

play at least the last segment; and

responsive to accessing the last segment in the truncated MPD, replenish the truncated MPD with the last “N” segments from the segment timeline data structure to permit play of the last “N” segments from the segment timeline.

2. The digital television system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions configure the receiver to:

responsive to receiving, via broadcast, segments associated with the first service, change from accessing segments associated with the first service on the computer network to accessing segments associated with the first service via broadcast.

3. The digital television system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions configure the receiver to:

play a segment “X” associated with the first service and accessed on the computer network and switch to broadcast by playing a segment “X+1” received via broadcast.

4. The digital television system of claim 3 , wherein the segment “X+1” is delayed from a live point in a broadcast of the first service by a delay period greater than zero.

5. The digital television system of claim 4 , wherein during the delay period, at least a first data element associated with the first service and identified as being damaged is repaired by access to a replacement first data element retrieved via the computer network to render a repaired data element and provided to the receiver for play of the repaired data element in lieu of the first data element.

6. The digital television system of claim 1 , wherein the SLT is a first SLT broadcast on the first service that signals the computer network location at which to obtain a parallel copy of the broadcast MPD pertaining to accessing segments associated with the first service.

7. The digital television system of claim 1 , comprising:

at least one source of broadcast Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 content configured to communicate broadcast services to the receiver; and

at least one source of computer network ATSC 3.0 content configured to communicate broadband content to the receiver.

8. A digital television system comprising:

at least one source of computer network digital television content configured to respond to a change of service by at least a first receiver from a first broadcast service to a second broadcast service by providing content of the second broadcast service to the first receiver over a broadband computer network, wherein the system is configured to:

remove at least some segments from a segment timeline data structure associated with the second broadcast service to produce a truncated data structure having a last segment;

access, using the first receiver and from the source of computer network digital television content, at least the last segment in the truncated data structure;

responsive to accessing at least the last segment, replenish the truncated data structure with at least one segment from the segment timeline data structure; and

using the first receiver, present the content of the second broadcast service from the source of computer network digital television content.

9. The digital television system of claim 8 , wherein the source of computer network ATSC 3.0 content comprises at least one processor programmed with instructions executable to:

receive an indication of the change of service by the first receiver.

10. The digital television system of claim 9 , wherein the indication is received from the first receiver.

11. The digital television system of claim 9 , wherein the indication is received from the source of broadcast digital television content.

12. The digital television system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions are executable to, responsive to receiving the indication, transmit at least one signal to the first receiver indicating a network location to obtain the content of the second broadcast service from the broadband computer network.

13. The digital television system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions are executable to, responsive to receiving the indication, transmit the at least one signal in a media presentation description (MPD).

14. The digital television system of claim 8 , comprising the first receiver, wherein the system is programmed with executable instructions to:

remove at least a last “N” segments from the segment timeline data structure associated with the second service, wherein “N” is an integer at least equal to one; and

using the first receiver, present the content of the second broadcast service from the source of computer network digital television content until content from the second broadcast service is available for presentation by the first receiver.

15. In a digital television system, a method comprising:

receiving an indication that a receiver of broadcast digital TV changes from a first service to a second service; and

responsive to the indication, enabling access of content of the second service by the receiver over a broadband computer network, wherein the method comprises:

removing segments from a segment timeline data structure associated with the second service to produce a truncated data structure having a last segment;

accessing, from the broadband computer network, at least the last segment in the truncated file;

responsive to accessing at least the last segment, replenish the truncated file with at least some segments from the segment timeline data structure; and

presenting the content of the second service from the broadband computer network.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising:

responsive to the indication, transmitting a signal to the receiver indicating a network address at which the content of the second service can be obtained.

17. The method of claim 15 , comprising:

responsive to the indication, transmitting to the receiver the content of the second service.

18. The method of claim 16 , comprising transmitting the signal in a media presentation description (MPD) file.

19. The method of claim 15 , comprising:

removing at least a last “N” segments from the segment timeline data structure associated with the second service, wherein “N” is an integer at least equal to one; and

presenting the content of the second service from the broadband computer network until content from the second service is available via broadcast for presentation by the first receiver.