Method and apparatus for correcting corrupted digital video transport streams
View Patent ↗A digital video system, method, and computer program product for correcting corrupted digital video transport streams is described. The digital video system may include a digital cable, digital broadcast satellite (DBS), high definition television (HDTV), or video-on demand (VOD) system. In a VOD system, a VOD client at each receiver is capable of subscribing to one or more VOD sessions. The headend includes a video server and a control server that is coupled to the video server. The video server transmits one or more VOD sessions to one or more receivers over a transport stream. The control server can also cause the video server to transmit one or more dummy sessions to maintain a predetermined minimum bandwidth of content over the transport stream. Alternatively, the headend can transmit one or more null packets having a randomized payload, as necessary, to maintain a constant bit rate over the transport stream.
1. A video-on-demand (VOD) system, comprising:
a transmission channel;
a plurality of receivers coupled to the transmission channel, a VOD client at each receiver capable of subscribing to one or more VOD sessions over a transport stream; and
a headend coupled to the transmission channel, said headend including a video server that can transmit one or more VOD sessions to one or more receivers, and a control server coupled to the video server, the control server to dynamically allocate and terminate VOD sessions over the transport stream as VOD clients are added and terminated, and to cause the video server to transmit one or more dummy sessions over the transport stream to maintain the predetermined minimum bandwidth of content over the transport stream,
wherein the control server is to prevent each receiver from decoding the dummy sessions.
2. A video-on-demand (VOD) system, comprising:
a transmission channel;
a plurality of receivers coupled to the transmission channel, a VOD client at each receiver capable of subscribing to one or more VOD sessions over a transport stream; and
a headend coupled to the transmission channel, said headend including a video server that can transmit one or more VOD sessions to one or more receivers, and a control server coupled to the video server, the control server to dynamically allocate and terminate VOD sessions over the transport stream as VOD clients are added and terminated, and to cause the video server to transmit one or more dummy sessions over the transport stream to maintain the predetermined minimum bandwidth of content over the transport stream,
wherein when the control server receives a request for a new VOD session from a VOD client, the control server terminates one or more of the one or more dummy sessions, and causes transmission of the new VOD session over the transport stream.