Patent ID: 7653089

Claim:
A method for reconfiguring protocol data when reducing a multiplexed data stream, comprising: receiving at a transcoder an inbound multiplexed data stream having: (1) a plurality of data streams, each of which carries a service; (2) a protocol data set defining the plurality of data streams; and (3) one or more hidden protocol data sets, each hidden protocol data set associated with a predefined combination of the plurality of data streams; selecting one of said hidden protocol data sets corresponding to a desired combination of data streams; and outputting the desired combination of data streams and the selected hidden protocol data set; wherein: said protocol data set defining the plurality of data streams comprises: an all-inclusive program association table (PAT) identified by a first packet identifier (PID); and an all-inclusive protocol base PID stream identified by a second PID; each of said hidden protocol data sets comprises: a hidden PAT associated with one of said predefined combinations of the plurality of data streams and identified by a PID chosen from a first group of PIDs; and a hidden protocol data (HPD) base PID stream corresponding to the hidden PAT, each HPD base PID stream identified by a PID chosen from a second group of PIDs.