METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING TRANSPORT STREAM CHANNELS FOR VIDEO-ON-DEMAND APPLICATIONS

摘要

The present invention enables determination of transport stream channels for video-on-demand (VOD) applications. A television terminal (50, 52, 54) is provided which includes a tuner for tuning to a home channel. An application program interface in the terminal (50, 52, 54) retrieves a transport stream identifier of a transport stream carrying the home channel. The home channel transport stream identifier defines a plurality of transport stream identifiers of a corresponding plurality of transport streams visible to the terminal (50, 52, 54). A video service controller (21) receives the home channel transport stream identifier from the application program interface. A VOD subsystem controller (26) controls distribution of a requested VOD service in response to video service controller (21) commands. A video pump (30, 32, 34) provides the requested VOD service to a re-multiplexing QAM device (31, 33, 35) for distribution on one of the transport streams visible to the terminal (50, 52, 54) based on commands from the VOD subsystem controller (26).