Patent ID: 8028082

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a processor in communication with an associated network; wherein the processor is configured to execute logic of the apparatus and to receive a signal from an associated device requesting a multicast stream, the multicast stream being provided by a first associated source of the multicast stream coupled with the associated network having a first data rate and a second associated source of the multicast stream coupled with the associated network having a second data rate that is lower than the first data rate; wherein the processor is configured to execute the logic to determine whether to provide the multicast stream to the associated device based on a combination of user data associated with the associated device and a physical location of a point of attachment of the associated device to the associated network; wherein the processor is configured to execute the logic to determine a connection type of the point of attachment of the associated device at the physical location; wherein the processor is configured to execute the logic to dynamically select one of a group consisting of the first associated source of the multicast stream and the second associated source of the multicast stream to provide the multicast stream to the associated device based upon a determination to provide the multicast stream to the associated device and based on the connection type of the point of attachment at the physical location of the associated device to the associated network; wherein the processor selects the first source to provide the multicast stream responsive to determining the point of attachment of the associated device has sufficient bandwidth for the first data rate; and wherein the processor subsequently switches the source of the multicast stream for the associated device to the second source responsive the bandwidth at the point of attachment is no longer sufficient to provide the multicast stream at the first data rate.