Patent ID: 8826365

Claim:
A media playout system within a broadcast network for playing out media to receiver units, the system comprising: a broadcast data channel with an associated bandwidth; a playout arrangement for broadcasting broadcast data comprising video data and enhanced content data associated with the video data over the broadcast data channel, the broadcast data being transmitted by a data provider to the playout arrangement; a plurality of distribution units distributed geographically across an area served by the network for receiving the broadcast data and distributing the broadcast data to receiver units wherein said receiver units comprise at least two types of receiver units, each distribution unit comprising: a buffer for storing enhanced content data in advance of a scheduled time, a receiver for receiving the video data, and a transmission controller for receiving a command from the playout arrangement to release the video data and the enhanced content data to the receiver units at the scheduled time and, responsive to the command, retrieving the enhanced content data from the buffer and releasing the enhanced content data and the video data to the receiver units at the scheduled time, wherein the playout arrangement comprises a buffer for storing the enhanced content data and a data flow controller for determining when the broadcast data is to be transmitted over the broadcast data channel, the playout arrangement being operable to: a. store enhanced content data associated with the video data when the enhanced content data is transmitted by the data provider to the playout arrangement in advance of the scheduled time; b. broadcast the enhanced content data to the plurality of distribution units in advance of the scheduled time, and based on an expected load over the broadcast data channel the data flow controller is arranged to determine when to broadcast, the scheduled time being the time scheduled for transmission of the enhanced content data and the video data to the receiver units; c. broadcast the video data to the plurality of distribution units at the scheduled time; and d. signal the plurality of distribution units to transmit the video data and the enhanced content data to the receiver units at the scheduled time wherein the bandwidth of the broadcast data channel is allocated for each type of the said at least two types of receiver units per type of receiver unit and wherein each receiver unit is configured to enable the enhanced content data to be displayed simultaneously with the video data in response to a user input; and wherein each transmission controller is responsive to signalling from the playout arrangement to delete the enhanced content data from the buffer of the respective distribution unit.