Importance

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Abstract

A single centralized video controller is employed to convert and distribute video channels to one or more analog TVs (i.e., viewing devices or the like). This is realized without the need for changes to either the TVs or the interconnecting COAX. Specifically, the centralized controller includes one or more MPEG2 decoders, the number of which depends on a desired number of active TVs to be used in viewing different programs, and one or more wireless (e.g., radio frequency (RF)) communications links to television controllers (i.e., remote control units) associated on a one-to-one basis with the desired number of TVs. In operation, channel selection for each of the one or more TVs is communicated up-stream from the centralized controller to a remote video server and, therein, to a video services controller. The video services controller causes the video server to transmit only the selected program channels to the local centralized video controller. However, when the video channel is already being supplied from the video server to an optical line terminal and, specifically, to an optical line card to which the requesting centralized controller is connected to, there is no need to communicate the channel request to the video server. The optical line terminal simply supplies the requested channel via an optical line card to the additional requesting centralized controller and, in turn, to the requesting TV.

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First Claim