Patent ID: 7904581
Filing Date: 2011-03-08
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for servicing channel change requests in a digital video network that is capable of distributing digital video content to clients via multicasting and unicasting, the method comprising: providing digital video content to a client via multicasting, the digital video content being related to a first channel; detecting a channel change request related to the client, the channel change request requesting a change to a second channel; providing digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting in response to the channel change request; continuing to provide digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting until a pre-established condition is met, wherein continuing to provide digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting until a pre-established condition is met involves unicasting a sequence of consecutive frames of the digital video content related to the second channel to the client, wherein the unicasting starts from an I-frame and progresses to B and P frames of a group of pictures (GOP); and switching to providing digital video content related to the second channel to the client via multicasting after the pre-established condition is met.