Patent ID: 8667552

Claim:
A method to provide seamless switching across streams on digital television receivers and set-top boxes, with a primary content stream and one or more addressable content streams being sent over different transport multiplexes such as primary transport multiplex and addressable content transport multiplex while optimizing bandwidth allocated in a digital television network and using the storage available on digital television receivers and set-top boxes comprising the steps of: a. Switching from the primary content stream to an addressable content stream further comprising the steps of: i. Switching to a locally stored pre-roll content to be rendered, upon receiving a signal switch point, in the primary content stream; ii. Tuning to the addressable content transport multiplex, in parallel to the pre-roll content rendering; iii. Switching to the addressable content stream on the currently chosen multiplex at a pre-determined decision point after the completion of tuning; and b. Switching back from the addressable content stream to the primary content stream, further comprising the steps of: i. Switching to a locally stored post-roll content that is rendered; ii. Tuning to the primary transport multiplex, in parallel with post-roll content rendering; and c. Switching to the currently tuned multiplex at a pre-determined decision point after the completion of tuning.