A METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING A COMPOSITE VIDEO SERVICES STREAM

摘要

The invention relates to a method of and apparatus for determining a composite video services stream comprising one or more video services for delivery across a digital subscriber loop. In some embodiments, the invention relates to a method of and apparatus for receiving a video service representation in a video services representation stream. In particular, embodiments of the invention enable a composite video services stream comprising one or more video services for delivery across a digital subscriber loop to be determined. Each video service is made available in a plurality of video service representations each having a different bit rate, the plurality of video service representations of a video service having aligned segment boundaries. The required video services for delivery across the digital subscriber loop are dynamically determined as well as the bandwidth available for delivery of the composite video services stream. One of the plurality of video service representations of a required video service for delivery across the digital subscriber loop is selected depending on at least the bandwidth available for the composite video services stream. If any video service request relates to a non-real-time video service, the non real-time video services stream may be buffered and the buffered video services stream may be sent at an actual transfer rate that depends on the residual bandwidth available for transfer of the video service representation after bandwidth is allocated to higher priority video services. A video service representation having a nominal transfer rate may be received at an actual transfer rate that may be higher than, or lower than, the nominal transfer rate and the transfer is discontinued at the determination of the end of the video services representation stream.