Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for non-seamless splicing of audio-video transport streams configured in accordance with MPEG-2 or other suitable techniques. A first transport stream is to be spliced with a second transport stream at a splice point. The first stream is configured such that the final first stream frame to be displayed will be a black frame or will have another suitable characteristic. Null packets are then delivered in place of the first stream transport packets for a predetermined period of time after the splice point. The predetermined time is generally greater than the sum of the splice decoding delay associated with the splice point and the maximum frame duration in the first stream. The transport packets of the second stream are then delivered. Null packets may be again delivered for a period of time sufficient to allow the final frame of the second stream to be displayed. The final first stream frame can be guaranteed to be a black frame by directing a digital stream insertion device to insert a black I-frame followed by an end-of-sequence code into the first stream. Alternatively, the final first stream frame could be forced to black during an encoding operation, and an end-of-sequence code could then be inserted at the splice point.

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First Claim