System and Method for Digital Program Insertion in Cable Systems

摘要

Alternative approaches to the insertion of local commercials and messages into networks feeds are provided. Embodiments include digital commercial insertion for cable operators and others that not only offer more flexibility and features, but may also be significantly cheaper to implement. The actual “insert” of the local commercial or message into the digital program is performed by a standard set top box, with several methods of providing the local commercial to the set top box at the proper insertion time. Another embodiment allows a cable operator to significantly save on equipment in the form of splicers and ad inserters, by allowing easy and dynamic mapping of local commercials to insertion zones.

主权项

1. A method of inserting local commercials into a local feed, comprising:
receiving and distributing a digital media stream to a plurality of digital reception devices; detecting a signal in said digital media stream indicating an insertion point; selecting a digitally encoded commercial for insertion; sending said digitally encoded commercial to said plurality of digital reception devices, at a time as indicated by said signal indicating an insertion point; providing a signal to at least some of said plurality of digital reception devices to indicate to said some of said plurality of digital reception devices to switch to said digitally encoded commercial; and wherein said some of said plurality of digital reception devices will switch back to said digital media stream at a time after an end time of said digitally encoded commercial.