Patent ID: 7690020

Claim:
A system for selecting a network path for delivering on-demand content comprising: a multi-channel network, wherein the multi-channel network comprises a content transport network, a supertrunk network, and a distribution network; a headend comprising a central media server and a resource management processor; a hub remote from the headend comprising a hub media server and a QAM, wherein the hub and the headend are connected via the content transport network and the supertrunk network; and a video termination device, wherein the video termination device is connected to the hub via a distribution network and wherein the video termination device comprises an instruction for sending a request for a particular on-demand content to the resource management processor, and wherein the resource management processor comprises instructions for: selecting a source from which to obtain the particular on-demand content from a plurality of content sources comprising the hub media server and the central media server in response to the request sent from the video termination device; selecting a path over which to deliver the particular on-demand content to the video termination device, and wherein the instruction for selecting a path comprises: if the selected source is the hub media server, then selecting the distribution network as the selected path; if the selected source is the central media server, then selecting the content transport network, if available, and the distribution network as the selected path, wherein the content transport network transports a transport network stream comprising the particular on-demand content to the QAM where it is RF modulated prior to routing to the distribution network; and if the selected source is the central media server and if the content transport network is not available, then selecting the supertrunk network and the distribution network as the selected path, wherein the supertrunk network transports a supertrunk stream comprising the particular on-demand content that is previously RF modulated and that is routed to the distribution network without further modulation by the QAM; and wherein the selected source delivers the particular on-demand content over the selected path to the video termination device.