METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE BANDWIDTH-OPTIMIZED TRANSMISSION OF HDTV DATA STREAMS VIA AN IP-BASED DISTRIBUTOR NETWORK

摘要

The invention relates to a method and a data transmission system for the bandwidth-optimized transmission of HDTV data streams via an IP-based distributor network. To this end, a broadcasting station produces an HDTV data stream which is encoded into a more narrowband main video data stream which, when reproduced, results in a lower picture quality than when the HDTV data stream is reproduced. The narrowband main data stream may be an SDTV data stream. Furthermore, the HDTV data stream is decoded into what is known as the differential or revaluation video data stream which cannot be presented without combination with the SD video data stream. The differential video data stream is normally a broadband data stream which forms the HDTV data stream through combination with the more narrowband SD video data stream. Transmission of the differential video data stream to an end user together with the main video data stream only if the broadband connection of the respective user is designed to receive an HDTV data stream allows optimum use of the bandwidth of the distributor network used and of the user broadband connection.