Patent ID: 6169843
Filing Date: 2001-01-02
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method of playing back transport packets in a transport stream playback system comprising the steps of: retrieving from storage each of a plurality of formatted packets, including a transport packet with synchronization word, a corresponding formatted arrival timestamp, the arrival timestamp indicative of an arrival time of the corresponding transport packet in a recording system used to store the formatted packets; distinguishing between said arrival timestamps and said synchronization words based on a bit pattern format of said arrival timestamps which is unambiguously free of any bit pattern that matches said synchronization pattern; determining if one of the plurality of packets includes a timestamp discontinuity; altering a playback system time clock in accordance with an identified timestamp discontinuity; and delivering the transport packets in one or more transport streams in accordance with the corresponding arrival timestamps relative to an independent playback system time clock, wherein the independent playback system time clock is loaded with the arrival time stamp of the transport packet with a playback discontinuity.