Patent ID: 8745382

Claim:
A method for the transmission of media data as a multicast service to a plurality of second apparatuses, comprising: providing a first apparatus which multicasts the media data protected by a security process to the plurality of second apparatuses; providing a third apparatus to initiate messages and exchange security data with the first apparatus for a security process preventing an unauthorized second apparatus from receiving the media data; selectively determining, by a third apparatus, a chosen second apparatus from a plurality of second apparatuses to receive the media data where the third apparatus acts as a remote control for the chosen second apparatus; selecting a first data transmission link to connect the first apparatus and the chosen second apparatus to transmit the media data; receiving the media data at the chosen second apparatus via the first data transmission link; and selecting a second data transmission link to connect the third apparatus and the chosen second apparatus and at least part of the security data is transmitted from the third apparatus to the chosen second apparatus via the second data transmission link, wherein a third data transmission link connects the first apparatus and the third apparatus and the security data is exchanged between the first apparatus and the third apparatus using the third data transmission link, and wherein control data is transmitted via at least one of the first data transmission link, the second data transmission link, and the third data transmission link.