Patent ID: 8255956

Claim:
A system, comprising: a transport stream generator for generating a plurality of multiplexed transport streams; and a session manager, coupled to the transport stream generator, for managing the transport stream generator to control delivery of the generated plurality of multiplexed transport streams and for monitoring demand-cast stream usage by terminals to provide to the transport stream generator for maintaining status for demand-cast streams acquired by user terminals; wherein the transport stream generator continuously generates a multiplexed transport stream providing data and program guide video segments for an interactive program guide (IPG), wherein the plurality of program guide video segments include a first set of program guide video segments and a second set of program guide video segments; wherein the session manager manages delivery of the IPG and identifies demand-cast program guide video segments accessed frequently by the terminals and demand-cast program guide video segments accessed less frequently including demand-cast program guide video segments specifically requested by a terminal; and wherein the session manager causes the transport stream generator to provide demand-cast program guide video segments identified by the session manager as being accessed frequently in the first set of program guide video segments for continuous broadcast within the same multiplexed transport stream as the IPG for constant availability at the terminals and to provide a requested demand-cast program guide video segment corresponding to one of the less frequently accessed demand-cast program guide video segments into the transport stream in the second set of video segments upon receipt of a request by the session manager from one of the terminals for access to the requested demand-cast video segment as a pull demand-cast provided only upon request from one of the terminals.