A method of receiving digital content for a channel change to a real-time video stream, the method comprising: - sending, from a receiver having a customer-side buffer, a command to a source in response to a channel change from a given channel to a particular channel at the receiver, wherein the command requests content from the particular channel and the particular channel includes a program that is in progress, and wherein changing to the particular channel includes changing to the program; - receiving, from the source in response to sending the command, at the customer-side buffer and at a rate substantially greater than a streaming content playout rate, a first content stream on a first connection carrying a content channel signal corresponding to content requested by the command, the first connection being a point-to-point connection and the first content stream providing delayed content for the program, wherein the first content stream received from the source provides a predefined amount of delayed content for the program, the predefined amount having been determined by the source for decreasing severity of jitter during playout of content in the content channel signal at the customer-side; and - receiving, from the source and at the customer-side buffer, a second content stream on a second connection carrying the content channel signal, wherein the second connection is one of multicast, broadcast, and asynchronous-transfer-mode point-multipoint, and the second content stream provides real-time content for the program and is received at the customer-side buffer substantially at the playout rate, the second content stream being received after the customer-side buffer has received the predefined amount of delayed content for the program on the first content stream, wherein the real-time content begins at substantially a point in the program at which the predefined amount of delayed content ends. - sending, from a receiver having a customer-side buffer, a command to a source in response to a channel change from a given channel to a particular channel at the receiver, wherein the command requests content from the particular channel and the particular channel includes a program that is in progress, and wherein changing to the particular channel includes changing to the program; - receiving, from the source in response to sending the command, at the customer-side buffer and at a rate substantially greater than a streaming content playout rate, a first content stream on a first connection carrying a content channel signal corresponding to content requested by the command, the first connection being a point-to-point connection and the first content stream providing delayed content for the program, wherein the first content stream received from the source provides a predefined amount of delayed content for the program, the predefined amount having been determined by the source for decreasing severity of jitter during playout of content in the content channel signal at the customer-side; and - receiving, from the source and at the customer-side buffer, a second content stream on a second connection carrying the content channel signal, wherein the second connection is one of multicast, broadcast, and asynchronous-transfer-mode point-multipoint, and the second content stream provides real-time content for the program and is received at the customer-side buffer substantially at the playout rate, the second content stream being received after the customer-side buffer has received the predefined amount of delayed content for the program on the first content stream, wherein the real-time content begins at substantially a point in the program at which the predefined amount of delayed content ends.