Patent ID: 8707359

Claim:
A method for communication, the method comprising: in a broadband gateway that enables communication with a plurality of devices, wherein the broadband gateway is operable to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider: receiving one or more programs in preview formats from one or more program sources, wherein each of the one or more programs is specified in a list; processing the one or more programs for presentation to one or more of the plurality of devices; communicating the processed one or more programs to the one or more of the plurality of devices for program preview by one or more users during program selections from said list; and utilizing one or more specific protocols during communication between the broadband gateway and said one or more program sources for receiving the one or more programs in said preview formats from said one or more program sources, wherein the one or more specific protocols define standard data formats for channel characteristics, network transport characteristics, video coding parameters, physical layer interface characteristics or power requirements.