Audio/visual receiver that can receive non-viewing information via a transmission channel that is not currently in use.

摘要

An audio/video (AV) content receiver and associated method for receiving and decoding AV data signals modulated onto transmission channels at least one of which carries non-viewing information (such as housekeeping data, firmware or software updates or push VOD data.) A tuner concurrently tunes to two or more transmission channels and a multiplexer generates a composite data signal from the received AV signals relating to required programmes for decoding. A detector checks the tuned transmission channels to determine if they are currently being used to provide a programme for decoding 362 and if it is determined that a channel is not in use 364 a controller will tune the unused channel to a channel that is carrying non viewing information 366. The non-viewing information is then decoded.