Patent ID: 7983268

Claim:
An automated method performed by a network device, the method comprising: receiving an input transport stream having a transport stream rate, where the transport stream includes a plurality of first Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) packets; and forming, from a register in the network device, an output transport stream having a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) rate that differs from the transport stream rate, where the output transport stream includes a plurality of second MPEG packets that differ from the plurality of first MPEG packets, and where forming an output transport stream includes: comparing a fill level, of the register, to a threshold value related to the QAM rate, based on comparing the fill level, of the register, to the threshold value, modifying the input transport stream to form a modified input transport stream including a plurality of intermediary MPEG packets, where modifying the input transport stream includes: when the fill level of the register is above the threshold value, disposing of one of the plurality of first MPEG packets, via the register, such that the disposed one of the plurality of first MPEG packets is not included in the modified input transfer stream, and altering timing information in the plurality of intermediary MPEG packets based on a difference between the input transport stream and the modified input transport stream.