Patent ID: 7512698

Claim:
A method of operating a stream server, the stream server causing data streams to be provided from one or more stored audio/visual files, the method comprising: receiving a signal from a client device, said signal including an indication of a client requested presentation action that, when put into effect by the stream server, involves reducing a data rate of audio data of a first audio/visual stream being sent from the stream server to the client device or eliminating the transmission of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream to the client device; implementing the client requested presentation action, said act of implementing the client requested presentation action including reducing the data rate of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream or eliminating the transmission of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream to the client device; and determining an amount that a data rate of a second audio/visual data stream may be increased as a result of an effect on transmission bandwidth corresponding to the reduction in the data rate of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream or the elimination of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream; and including both said first and second audio/video streams in different Single Program Transport Streams, each of said different Single Program Streams being part of a Multiple Program Transport Stream which includes both of said different Single Program Transport Streams.