Alternative set-top gateway source for DOCSIS 3.0

1. A system, comprising:

a controller operable to produce a static multicast video stream;

a static to dynamic multicast converter operable to receive the static multicast video stream and to convert the static addressing to dynamic addressing to produce a dynamic multicast video stream;

a network edge device operable to receive the dynamic multicast video stream from the static to dynamic multicast converter and to produce a multicast transmission having multicast downstream service identifier forwarding enabled for a first service group to which the dynamic multicast video stream is being provided; and

the network edge device being operable to transmit the multicast transmission having multicast downstream service identifier forwarding enabled to a plurality of media gateways operable to receive the multicast stream having multicast downstream service identifier forwarding enabled and to provide the dynamic multicast video stream to one or more associated display devices, wherein the plurality of media gateways are not operable to simultaneously process both the static multicast video stream and multicast downstream service identifier forwarding enabled dynamic multicast video stream.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the static to dynamic multicast converter is operable to provide at least one secondary output to one or more secondary broadband links.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network edge device comprises a cable modem termination system.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network edge device and the static to dynamic converter are integrated into a single device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network edge device is further operable to provided static multicast streams to a second service group independent of the first service group.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multicast downstream service identifier forwarding enabled multicast stream comprises source and group information associated with the stream.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein a management information base object or type length value parameter are defined to communicate the source and group information to a plurality of media gateways in the first service group.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a static multicast video stream signal;

converting the static multicast video stream signal to produce a dynamic multicast video stream;

receiving the dynamic multicast video stream at a network edge component;

transmitting the dynamic multicast video stream to a first service group having multicast downstream service identifier forwarding enabled to a plurality of media gateways in the first service group, wherein the media gateways are not operable to simultaneously process both static multicast video streams and multicast downstream service identifier forwarding enabled multicast video streams; and

wherein the plurality of media gateways provide the video information contained in the dynamic multicast video stream to one or more associated display devices.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising providing the dynamic multicast stream to at least one secondary output operable to transmit the dynamic multicast stream to subscribers via one or more secondary broadband links.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the network edge component comprises a cable modem termination system.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 8 , wherein converting the static multicast stream into a dynamic multicast stream is performed by a cable modem termination system.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising providing the static multicast stream to a second service group independent of the first service group.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising adding source and group information to the dynamic multicast video stream.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13 , wherein a management information base object or type length value parameter are defined to communicate the source and group information to a plurality of media gateways in the first service group.

15. One or more non-transitory computer readable media operable to execute on a processor, the computer readable being operable to cause the processor to perform the operations comprising:

receiving a static multicast video stream signal;

converting the static multicast video stream to produce a dynamic multicast video stream;

receiving the dynamic multicast video stream at a network edge component;

transmitting the dynamic multicast video stream to a first service group having multicast downstream service identifier forwarding enabled;

determining existence of one or more devices belonging to the first service group, the first service group comprising those devices having multicast downstream service identifier forwarding enabled; and

terminating the conversion of static multicast video to dynamic multicast video responsive to a determination that the first service group does not include one or more devices.