Importance

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Abstract

A conditional access subsystem is proved which is to reside with an end-user for receiving, decrypting and decoding all programs distributed by a content provider that the end user is entitled to access so that the decrypted and decoded programs are available for display on one or more display devices without use of a set-top terminal dedicated to each of the display devices. The subsystem includes a receiver for receiving and demodulating a multi-program transport (MPTS) stream distributed by the content provider. The MPTS includes a plurality of packets constituting a plurality of programs using one of N different encryption schemes each associated with one of N service tiers, wherein N is an integer greater than one. Each of the N different encryption schemes has a different encryption/decryption key associated therewith. The packet identifiers for the packets associated with programs in any given one of the service tiers are in a consecutive sequence. A decryptor is provided for decrypting each of the programs associated with each of the N service tiers that the end user is entitled to access. A decoder is also provided for decoding each of the decrypted programs.

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First Claim