Patent ID: 8175020

Claim:
A method for transmitting an HD signal from a source location to a destination location comprising the steps of: (a) at the source location, receiving the HD signal from a video source at an HD data rate; (b) compressing said HD signal at said HD data rate to create a compressed HD signal having a data rate not greater than an SD data rate, wherein said HD signal and said compressed HD signal are digital signals; (c) transmitting said compressed HD signal from said source location to a first network point-of-presence; (d) in a first video gateway, converting said compressed HD signal into data formatted for transmission via a data network; (e) transmitting said data to a second network point-of-presence; (f) in a second video gateway converting said data into said compressed HD signal; (g) decompressing said compressed HD signal into a destination HD signal at said HD data rate; and (h) delivering said destination HD signal at the destination location.