A closed geographically-spread communication network that is privately and centrally operated and managed, the residential community serves a small to medium number of subscribers and provides them with a variety of services from Internet access, fax and messaging, to application and video services. Today's residential community is ideal for providing digital video services since the required network infrastructure often exists or can be deployed with limited investment. The subscribers to this virtual community are already accustomed to receiving or buying different services from the community operator. Offering members new services, either independently or in cooperation with a content or service provider, increases operator revenues. Live and scheduled video multicast - Scheduled and live transmission of events or clips.
Viewers can join the program and view it as it is being transmitted.
In this manner, viewers can catch a previously recorded program, or edited highlights, such as a news or sports event already in progress. Cyclic Recording - Live videos that are locally transmitted on the community network are also cyclically recorded. This makes the last designated period of time from each channel available on-demand, so viewers can switch between the live multicast transmission to video playback. Management system - Administration of the subscribers and the content. Content management - Efficient management and scheduling of content acquisition, organization and distribution.