Patent ID: 8848548

Claim:
A method for receiving a broadcast multimedia, comprising: employing a processor to implement the method, comprising: receiving a first set of packets of the broadcast multimedia at a mobile device at a first data rate, wherein a transmission is in a unicast mode; monitoring a buffer length; sending a first notification when the buffer length is at or above a first threshold length; upon determining the mobile device is not a most disadvantaged user, receiving at the mobile device an instruction to join a multicast group and a second set of packets at a second data rate in a multicast mode; and upon determining the mobile device is the most disadvantaged user by at least ascertaining that a maximum number of negative acknowledgements has been issued for n packets by the mobile device, receiving at the mobile device the second set of packets at the second data rate in the unicast mode; wherein, if it is determined that the mobile device is the most disadvantaged user while receiving the second set of packets at the second data rate in the multicast mode, then disassociating from the multicast group automatically and receiving the second set of packets in the unicast mode at the first data rate.