Patent ID: 7844182

Claim:
A method, comprising: propagating a downstream signal on an optical signal conductor from an upstream combiner to a downstream combiner, wherein the downstream signal includes an analog video broadcast signal; counter-propagating an upstream signal on the optical signal conductor from the downstream combiner to the upstream combiner, wherein the upstream signal includes a digital signal; propagating another downstream signal on another optical signal conductor from another upstream combiner to another downstream combiner, wherein the another downstream signal includes a digital signal; counter-propagating another upstream signal on the another optical signal conductor from the another downstream combiner to the another upstream combiner, wherein the another upstream signal includes an analog return signal; broadcasting at least a portion of the downstream signal to a plurality of users and conveying a signal from at least one of the plurality of users to an input port of the another downstream combiner as the another upstream signal; and distributing at least a portion of the another downstream signal to a plurality of users and conveying a signal from at least one of the plurality of users to an input port of the downstream combiner as the upstream signal.