BROADCAST METADATA COMPRESSION METHOD AND SYSTEM

摘要

Broadcast server and method for transmitting electronic program guide data to set top boxes (4) via a broadcast network (6). The broadcast server (8) is arranged to prepare a list of unique entries and associated identifications of the text items received, and to provide a compressed list to the plurality of set top boxes (4). The broadcast server (8) repeats the following steps for each text item in the list: - determining whether a next text item has a number of shared consecutive characters at the start in common with a compressed text item from the compressed list, identifying said compressed text item as a source of shared consecutive characters and determining the number of shared consecutive characters; - storing for the next text item an identification, a reference to the source of shared consecutive characters, the number of shared consecutive characters, and the remaining non-shared text in the compressed list.