Patent ID: 6898800

Claim:
A method of adapting asset delivery within a heterogeneous multimedia video-on-demand distribution system having service provider equipment and at least one sot top terminal, comprising the steps of: determining at the service provider equipment, for each set top terminal (STT) requesting a session for video content in the heterogeneous multimedia video-on-demand distribution system, a capability level of said STT and a capability level of the distribution network; selecting, from a plurality of available video content and navigational asset versions stored on said service provider equipment, one of said versions of video content and navigational assets appropriate to said capability level of said STT; providing, via at least one of a plurality of transmission channels, said selected video content and navigational assets in response to STT communications indicative of a need for said video content and assets, said navigational assets comprising a plurality of applets, said applets being stored at said service provider equipment, where each applet comprises video information, graphics information, and control information, and wherein said STT being configured to selectively tune, downconvert, and depacketize said video content and assets received via said transmission channels; and adapting said selected navigational asset version provided to said at least on set top terminal without reprocessing the selected video content, wherein said selected video content includes a plurality of interspersed NULL packets, such that at least a portion of said NULL packets are replaced by navigational asset packets associated with said selected video content version.