Virtual channel table for a broadcast protocol and method of broadcasting and receiving broadcast signals using the same

摘要

A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

主权项

1. A method of processing a digital broadcasting signal in a digital television receiver, comprising:
demodulating a digital broadcasting signal including program and system information protocol (PSIP) data including a virtual channel table (VCT), and outputting demodulated PSIP data, wherein the VCT includes a predefined data field which is set to zero for an inactive channel, wherein the inactive channel is a channel that is not presently carrying a broadcast program; however, the same inactive channel is scheduled to carry a broadcast program at later time from a broadcasting station without local viewer interaction; and processing display of the corresponding virtual channel, wherein when the virtual channel is currently inactive, the receiver is capable of skipping over the virtual channel while a user is surfing, wherein the VCT further includes a transport_stream_id field, wherein the VCT further includes a current_next_indicator field, wherein the VCT further includes a last_section_number field, wherein the VCT further includes a num_channel_in_section field, and wherein the PSIP data further includes a Master Guide Table (MGT).