Patent ID: 7145912

Claim:
A method of demultiplexing a statistically multiplexed MPEG transport stream into a constant bit rate single program transport stream comprising the steps of: separating a specified single program transport stream including a variable bit rate program composed of a sequence of pictures, each picture having a decode time stamp, from the statistically multiplexed MPEG transport stream; loading a j'th picture from the variable bit rate program into a smoothing buffer at a desired constant bit rate, in the event that loading of the j'th picture into the smoothing buffer is completed no later than a time δ before the time indicated by the decode time stamp of the (j+1)'th picture, loading the (j+1)'th picture into the smoothing buffer at said desired constant bit rate starting at the time δ before the time indicated by the decode time stamp of the (j+1)'th picture, in the event that loading of the j'th picture into the smoothing buffer is not completed until later than the time δ before the time indicated by the decode time stamp of the (j+1)'th picture, loading the (j+1)'th picture into the smoothing buffer at said desired constant bit rate starting substantially immediately after loading of the j'th picture is completed, and transferring the (j+1)'th picture from the smoothing buffer at the time indicated by the decode time stamp of the (j+1)'th picture.