Importance

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Abstract

A method of scrambling a television signal and a method of and apparatus for descrambling a television signal is provided. An audio signal is used on which a key signal containing compression information and information concerning the position of a vertical blanking interval is superimposed on a portion of the audio signal corresponding to a horizontal blanking interval. In addition, a pseudo-key signal is superimposed on the audio signal at a portion which corresponds to a vertical blanking interval, so that the vertical blanking interval cannot be detected through the detection of the audio signal. As a result, an expansion signal for expanding the signal in the horizontal blanking interval and vertical blanking interval compressed by scrambling cannot be formed in its normal position. Thus, unauthorized access is difficult. Descrambling can be performed by detecting the vertical blanking interval based on the information concerning the position of the vertical blanking interval contained in the key signal, and decoding the information for the position which is transmitted in the form of out-band data. Compression information can then be extracted from the key signal based on the detected vertical blanking interval, and an expansion signal for expanding the signal in the horizontal and vertical blanking periods can be generated.

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