MXPA99011112A - Method and apparatus for demultiplexing and distributing digital packet data - Google Patents

Abstract

Una técnica para demultiplexar corrientes de bits de transporte a partir de una corriente de bits fuente, en donde el contenido de los paquetes de transporte particulares se demultiplexa selectivamente hacia destinos múltiples en forma simultánea, todo ello utilizando un solo bus de datos de salida. Los paquetes de transporte provenientes de múltiples ID de canal de servicio (SCID) pueden estar presentes en cada corriente de bits de transporte de salida demultiplexada. Un enfoque jerárquico de demultiplexión de corrientes de bits se implementa a fin de permitir que los subconjuntos seleccionados de corrientes de datos generales sean transmitidos hacia destinos diferentes. Estos subconjuntos de la corriente de bits pueden traslaparse. La salida de la corriente de bits de transporte puede utilizarse para fines de grabación DVHS y/o para alimentar datos a los subsistemas que se conectan a un decodificador receptor integrado (IRD).

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MULTIPLEXING AND DISTRIBUTING DIGITAL DATA IN PACKAGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Related Application This application claims the priority of United States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60 / 110,596, filed December 2, 1998, entitled "TRANSPORT DECODER DVHS DATA OUTPUT DEMULTIP EXING APPROACH".

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to that of ul t iplexing and distribution of digital data in pack. More particularly, it relates to a method and apparatus for receiving entertainment broadcast-type data, such as digitalized data signals in video, audio and information packets, transmitted in a direct broadcast satellite system (DBS) or a digital video broadcasting (DVB) system, and to distribute and demultiplexely transmit received data to a variety of interfaces. The tiplexacióh distribution / demolition process allows the packet data to be simultaneously supplied to different destinations, using a single N-bit data bus controlled by robescope signals.

P1730 / 99MX DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART Conventional type communication systems include a receiver for receiving and processing transmitted waveforms. A type of receiver is part of the "wireless digital television". Digital Wireless Television allows consumers to receive, directly in their homes, the broadcast of several channels from a set of powerful satellites. The receiver includes a small 18-inch satellite dish connected by a cable to an integrated receiver / decoder unit (IRD - integrated receiver / decoder). The satellite dish is directed towards the satellite and the IRD is connected to the user's TV in a manner similar to that of a conventional cable TV type decoder. On the transmission side, the video, audio and related information data signals are digitally encoded in packetized data streams using various types of algorithms. The coded data stream, which includes error correction control, is modulated at the Ku-band frequency transmitted to the satellite and retransmitted from the satellite to the 18-inch satellite antenna dish. The dish of the satellite antenna shifts the Ku-band signal to an L-band signal that is transmitted through the P1730 / 99MX cable towards the IRD. In the IRD, the front end circuitry receives the L-band signal and converts it into the original digital data stream of the video, audio and related information signals. The digital data stream fed to the video / audio decoding circuits that perform the main video / audio processing functions, such as demultiplexing and decompression. A microcontroller controls the overall operation of the IRD, including the selection of parameters, the establishment and control of the components, channel selection, observer access to different programming packages, blocking of certain channels and many other functions. The compression and decompression of the video signals in package can be achieved according to the standards of the Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) and the compression and decompression of the audio signals can be achieved according to the standards of the Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) or DolbyMR Digital (or AC-3) standards. Therefore, the IRD typically includes an MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 decoder video and an MPEG-1, MPEG-2 or DolbyMR Digital (or AC-3) audio decoder in order to decompress the video and audio signals compressed and received. The video and audio decoders can be on the same chip or on separate chips.

P1730 / 99MX A transport processor of the IRD unit outputs video and audio data to a number of destinations, which include audio and video decoders, portlights, memories and interface devices, such as the digital VHS (DVHS) interface. The IRD unit can send the same audio and video data to different destinations. In a conventional IRD unit, the desired data is sent to each destination sequentially or using multiple discrete interfaces, even when the same data is desired in multiple destinations. This operation wastes output contacts in a transport processor of the IRD unit, without any improvement in performance and results in a waste of the output processing resources.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention incorporates a wireless distribution system that reliably and cheaply distributes digital data in audio, video and information package, to individual users in geographically remote locations. The present invention relates in general to a method and apparatus for receiving broadcast entertainment-type data, such as digital data in video, audio package and related information in a satellite broadcasting system.

Direct P1730 / 99MX (DBS), and for demul to effectively type and distribute the received data to a variety of destinations in the IRD unit for further processing. The process of distribution / demul t iplexing allows packaged data to be delivered simultaneously to different destinations using a single N-bit data bus controlled by strobe signals. In a satellite uplink facility, video and audio signals can be digitized in known ways, multiplexed with other data signals, compressed (if required), combined with error correction codes, modulated on a carrier and sent on a link ascending towards a geosynchronous satellite. The satellite receives the uplink signals and retransmits them on a footprint that preferably covers at least the continental United States. The receiving units, which are typically located in the user's homes, receive the satellite signals. The receiver units include an antenna, which is preferably in the form of a satellite dish, together with an integrated receiver / decoder (IRD). The antenna feeds the received satellite signal to the IRD unit that recovers the digital video and audio data originally transmitted. Typically, the received packets are P1730 / 99MX present a transport circuit that is in communication with a microprocessor. The microprocessor informs the transport circuit which packages are different. For example, if the IRD receives instructions from the user to display the ESPN station, the microprocessor instructs the transport to receive and process all packets (including in particular the audio and video packets) associated with the ESPN programming. Information regarding how to receive ESPN or any other programming channel is provided by a program guide data stream. In general, the program guide identifies (based on a header information) those packages that must be assembled in order to build the audio and video for any of the available programs. The program guide data also includes information that is needed to build a graphic listing of the schedules of the programs and the channels available for programming, the program description data, the ra ting data of the program, the data of the program. category of the program and other data. The transport identifies the desired ESPN packets by means of the packet header information, removes the load portion of the packet and sends the load to an audio and video decoder (u P1730 / 99MX optionally first to an intermediate storage location). Once again, the audio and video decoders can be on the same chip or on separate chips. The decoder then stores the load in the designated memory locations. The ESPN video and audio loads are then requested from their memory locations as required, decoded, converted to analog NTSC signals and provided to a conventional television monitor for display. The present invention is directed to a technique for demultiplexing transport bit streams from a source bit stream. In the present invention, the content of the particular transport packets is selectively demultiplexed to multiple destinations simultaneously, all using a single output data bus (before demiplexing, the transport processor can decrypt the transport packet bit stream). In the present invention, the transport packets of the multiple service channel IDs (SCID) may be present in each iplexed demultiplex stream transport bit stream. The present invention also allows a hierarchical approach for the demultiplexing of bitstreams, allowing selected subsets of the general bitstream to be transmitted to P1730 / 99MX different destinations. These subsets of bit streams can overlap. The output of the transport bitstream in the present invention can be used for DVHS recording purposes and for feeding data to other subsystems that can be connected to the IRD. In the present invention, the single output data bus from the transport processor also carries the output data to the MPEG decoder, thus saving connectors in the transport processor. The performance of the present invention is strengthened by using a single strobe signal for each additional output and not another N-bit data bus for each additional output. The present invention is applied to a DVHS application as well as to satellite PC applications. The invention together with the objects and advantages expected will be better understood in relation to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a diagram of a direct broadcast satellite system that implements the method and apparatus of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a preferred data format for packet data P1730 / 99MX received and transmitted by the direct broadcast satellite system of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating the input to a transport processor in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a functional block illustrating the output of the transport processor in an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 5 and 6 illustrate aspects of the transport multiplexer in greater detail. Figures 7a-7c and 8a-8d illustrate examples of the operation of the transport processor of Figure 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED MODALITIES In general, television signal distribution systems rely on either a cable network or a free space propagation to supply television signals to subscribers or individual users. Cable-based television systems transmit one or more signals or Individual "channels" of television through the cable, while the systems of propagation of free space transmit one or more channels in aerial form, that is to say in a wireless form. Most large-scale wireless and cable television signal distribution systems, P1730 / 99MX broadcast a broadcast band television signal having a plurality of individual television signals or individual channels modulated on one or more carrier frequencies within a discernible frequency band. Some wireless television signal distribution systems use one or more geosynchronous satellites to broadcast a broadcast band television signal to receiving units within a large geographic area, while other wireless systems are land based, using one or more transmitters located within small geographic areas to be disseminated to individual receiving units within those geographical areas. An example of a terrestrial-based "cellular" type television signal distribution system is set forth in U.S. Patent No. 4,747,160 to Bossard. This system includes multiple television signal transmitting stations, each of which transmits a television signal to individual receivers scattered through a limited geographic region, and is configured so that adjacent transmitting stations use modulation and frequency diversity. to avoid interference. Some cellular systems, for example those that are commonly referred to as P1730 / 99MX LMDS (local multipoint distribution system) and the MMDS (multi-channel and multi-channel distribution system), use a ground-based cellular-type transmission configuration to broadcast satellite signals at frequencies different from those used by the satellite. Each of the transmitters of an LMDS system typically transmits within a cell of a radius of one to five miles, while each of the transmitters of an MMDS system typically transmits within a cell of a radius of approximately 30 miles. The present invention is incorporated into a satellite-based distribution system. The system in general includes a ground station that compiles a number of programs (video and audio) into a broadcast band signal, modulates a carrier frequency band with the broadcast band signal and then transmits (uplink) the signal modulated towards a geosynchronous satellite. The satellite amplifies the received signal, changes the signal to a different carrier frequency band and transmits (return link) the signal changed in frequency to the ground for reception at the individual receiving stations. The uplink and return broadcast band signals of the exposed satellite distribution system can be divided into a plurality of transponder signals, each of which has P1730 / 99MX a plurality of individual channels. For example, analog satellite systems operating in the so-called "G-band", ie between approximately 3.7 GHz and approximately 4.2 GHz, typically broadcast ten transponder signals of an amplitude of 500 MHz, each including twelve analog channels with an amplitude 40 MHz. Satellite systems can also broadcast a set of transponder signals to multiple polarizations, for example, circular polarization on the right (PHCP) and circular polarization on the left (LHCP) within the band of the carrier frequencies associated with the satellite, effectively doubling the number of broadcast channels through the system. Satellite-based signal distribution systems exist for many frequency bands, including the so-called "Ku-band" ranging from about 12 GHz to about 18 GHz. The preferred embodiment of this invention uses a rising signal having 12 signals of RHCP transponder and 12 LHCP transponder signals modulated in the frequency band between approximately 17.2 GHz and approximately 17.7 GHz. Each of these 24 transponder signals includes data packets related to approximately 32 individual television channels associated therewith. The satellite changes the signals of P1730 / 99MX uplink transponder towards carrier frequencies ranging from approximately 11.7 GHz to approximately 12.2 GHz and transmit these frequency shifted transponder signals back to the ground for reception at each of the plurality of individual receiving stations. In accordance with the present invention, each station includes an antenna coupled to an IRD unit, interface circuitry coupled to the IRD unit, and a digital peripheral unit coupled to the interface circuitry. The antenna typically comprises a parabolic dish antenna and is directed in the general direction of the transmitting satellite (or other transmitting location) to receive the broadband signal. Typically, these antennas include a low noise block (LNB) which filters and changes the incoming signal to an intermediate frequency band, for example the L-band, which is between approximately 1.0 GHz and approximately 2.0 GHz. In one embodiment, the signal received from the satellite changes to the frequency band between approximately 950 MHz and approximately 1450 MHz. Typically, only the RHCP transponder signals or the LHCP transponder signals are mixed to decrease in frequency to the L-band, depending on which channel is observing a user. However, in systems that have a two-channel LNB, the transponder signals both P1730 / 99MX RHCP as LHCP are displaced and diminished in frequency up to the L band and provided, by separate lines, to the receiving unit. The present invention is directed to a technique for demultiplexing decrypted transport bitstreams from a bit stream. In the present invention, the contents of the particular transport packets are selectively demultiplexed to multiple destinations simultaneously, all of them using a single output data bus. In the present invention, transport packets from the multiple service channel IDs (SCID) may be present in each downstream demulled transport stream of the output bits. The present invention allows a hierarchical approach for the demultiplexing of bit streams, allowing selected subsets of the general bitstream to be transmitted to different destinations. Figure 1 is a block diagram of a transmission and reception system 10 incorporating the features of this invention. The illustrated system 10 includes a transmission station 14, a relay 16 and a plurality of receiving stations, one of which is shown with the reference number 20. A wireless air link provides the communication medium between the transmission station 14, the retransmitter 16 and the P1730 / 99MX receiving station 20. The transmission station 14 includes a programming / data source 24, a video / audio / data encoding system 26, an uplink frequency converter 28 and a satellite uplink antenna 30. retransmitter 16 is preferably at least one geosynchronous satellite. The receiving station 20 includes an antenna / satellite reception dish 34, a low noise block (LNB) 50 connected to the dish 34, a receiver unit (or IRD) 36 connected to the LNB 50, and a conventional television monitor 38 connected to the the receiving unit 36. In operation, the transmission station 14 can receive video and audio programming from various sources, including satellites, terrestrial optical fibers, cable or tape. Preferably, the received programming signals, together with the data signals such as for example the electronic programming data and the conditional access data, are sent to the video / audio / data coding system 26 where they are digitally encoded and multiplexed in a packet data stream, using several conventional algorithms, including convolution and compression error correction. In a conventional manner, the coded data stream is modulated and sent through the uplink frequency converter 28 which converts the P1730 / 99MX data encoded and modulated in a frequency band suitable for reception by the satellite 16. Preferably, the satellite frequency is the K-band. The encoded and modulated data stream is then routed from the frequency converter 28 of uplink to an antenna / uplink satellite dish 30, where it is broadcast to satellite 16 via an air link. The satellite receives the coded and coded Ku-band data stream and retransmits it downward to an area on the earth that includes several receiving stations 20. The satellite dish 34 of the receiving station 20 shifts the Ku-band signal towards down to an L-band signal, which is transmitted by the LNB 50 to the receiving unit 36. The front-end circuitry (shown in Figure 3) within the receiving unit 36 receives the L-band RF signals from the LNB 50 and converts them back into the original digital data stream. The decoding circuitry (shown in detail in Figure 4) receives the original data stream and performs video / audio processing operations such as demultiplexing and decompression. A microprocessor or CPU 58 (also shown in Figure 4) controls the overall operation of the receiving unit 36, including the selection of parameters, the P1730 / 99MX establishment and control of components, channel selection, user access for different program packages, and many other functions. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a typical data packet that is transmitted by the system shown in Figures 1 and 3 through 6. All information is transmitted in this format, including video, audio, program guides, conditional access and other data. As shown, each data packet is 130 bytes long but seventeen additional bytes (not shown) are used for error correction and / or other functions. The first two bytes (one byte is composed of 8 bits) of information contain the ID of the service channel (SCID) and flags. The SCID is a unique 12-bit number that uniquely identifies the particular data stream to which the data packet belongs. The flags are formed of up to four bits, including bits to indicate if the packet is encrypted or not and what is the key to be used in the decryption. The third information byte is formed of a packet type indicator, four bits, and a four bit continuity counter. The package type identifies the package in one of four formats. When combined with the SCID, the type of package determines how the package will be used. In general, the counter P1730 / 99MX continuity makes increments once for each packet received with the same SCID value. The next 127 bytes of information consist of "load" data, which corresponds to the actual useful information sent from the program provider. These packets can have a load of less than 127 bytes. Figure 3 is a more detailed functional block diagram of the receiving unit 36 shown in Figure 1. The satellite dish antenna 34 transfers the received satellite signal to a conventional LNB circuit 50 which then passes the signal to the receiving unit 36. The receiver unit 36 includes a tuner 52, a demodulator 54, a FEC decoder 56, a microcontroller 58, a transport processor 60 and a RAM system 70. In one embodiment, the transport processor 60, the demodulator 54 and the FEC decoder. 56 are implemented on a single chip. The transport processor 60 receives the transport stream of the digitalized data packets containing video, audio, schedule information and other data. The digital packet information contains identification headers as part of its control data. Under the control of the microcontroller 58, the transport processor 60 filters and separates the packets that are not currently of interest and routes the data packets that are of interest.

P1730 / 99MX interest towards the proper destination downstream. The present invention provides a technique for demultiplexing a set of bit streams from a single input bitstream using a transport processor 60 with a design that is both compact in terms of the number of connectors required and flexible in terms of the demultiplexing capacity. The input bit stream to the transport processor 60 is a continuous sequence of fixed-length transport packets (e.g., 130 bytes per packet as illustrated in Figure 2), and each packet contains a packet header field which identifies the source of the packets. The objective is to transmit subsets of total bitstreams, defined as packets or subsets of packets, belonging to groups of data sources identified by the unique packet header values, to different destinations. Since the output of transport processor 60 is normally one-byte width, the output to devices N would normally involve at least N * 8 connectors for data output. Using the functional architecture shown in Figure 4, this requirement can be reduced to 8 + N output connectors. The transport processor 60 receives an input transport bit stream from the FEC decoder 56 illustrated in FIG.

P1730 / 99MX Figure 3 and outputs an 8-bit data line 400 and N stroboscope signals 402 to a plurality of destinations 404. These destinations 404, as illustrated in Figure 4, may include an MPEG 406 decoder, a DVHS interface 408, or other device 410, for example a 1394 interface. The architecture illustrated in Figure 4 puts all the destination data for the output ports on a single bus 400 and selectively analyzes the data by stroboscope to determine the different destinations 404. This allows the same data to be transmitted to multiple destinations simultaneously. The implementation of the present invention allows the transport processor 60 to output the data to multiple destinations (as opposed to a single destination) using the single data bus 400. In addition, the transport processor 60 has the additional capacity of feed the data belonging to multiple data sources to each of these destinations. For example, the data pertaining to both audio and video data sources can be transmitted to a DVHS recording device which interfaces with the transport processor 60 via the DVHS 408 interface, in addition to being transmitted to the MPEG 406 decoder. In one modality, the transport packages P1730 / 99MX are received in the transport processor 60. The load of the packets belonging to the audio and video component of a program is decrypted, demultiplexed and sent to the MPEG 406 decoder. In this mode, all the audio packets and video, including the contents of the decrypted transport packet, can also be sent to the DVHS 408 interface, in order to allow recording on a DVHS device. The received bit stream is a sequence of transport packets that are formatted as shown in Figure 2. The SCID value in the header is used to identify the source of the load. A television program usually includes multiple SCIDs, and more likely includes at least one SCID audio and video. After the prefix of the two-byte header that is in the packet, there is a one-byte data field containing the continuity account (CC) information to detect the packet loss and also the header designation information (HD ) which refers to the nature of the package's cargo. The CC / HD byte is not considered as part of the load. The maximum possible load of the packet is 127 bytes. As illustrated in Figure 5, a transport iplexer demultiplexer 602 of the transport processor 60 demultiplexes the transport packets P1730 / 99MX based on the SCID value in the header and selectively transmits the data to different data destinations, for example to the video decoder 604, audio decoder 606, high speed data port 608, DRAM 610 memory and DVHS 408 interface device. Destination determination for packet data is based on the SCID value of the particular packet. The data sent to the DRAM 610, the video decoder 604, the audio decoder 606 or the high-speed port 608 include only the payload of the packets, the maximum length of which is 127 bytes. The data sent to the DVHS 408 interface device includes the entire 130-byte packet, where the 128-byte transport block has been decrypted. A particular packet may be transmitted to the DVHS interface device 408 in addition to any video decoder 604, audio decoder 606 or high speed port 608. Data to be sent to the DVHS 408 interface device include packets belonging to multiple SCID, while the data to be sent to each of the audio destinations 606, video 604 or high-speed data 608, include the loading of only one SCID. The DRAM output supports multiple SCID. The physical connectivity for the ports is shown in Figure 6. A single physical port 702 P1730 / 99MX • handles video decoder, audio decoder, high-speed outputs and DVHS. The data destined to different destinations of this physical port are indicated by the individual data stroboscopes. The ports 704, 706, 708, 710 and 712 are assigned to the memory (DRAM) 610, the video decoder 604, the audio decoder 606, the high-speed data 608 and the DVHS interface device 408, respectively. The architecture of the system described above allows the data pertaining to a particular packet to be output simultaneously to the DVHS interface device 408 and to one of the audio ports 606, video 604 or high speed data 608. The totality of the data that are needed for shared destinations is placed on the common data lines, and the data in the required package for different devices are selected by stroboscope to the different destinations. Figures 7a-7c show an example where a particular packet has data destined for the video decoder 604 and the DVHS interface device 408 simultaneously. The limits of the packet data shown in Figure 7 are part of a periodic process since the data is received in the transport processor 60, periodically. The limit or border of the data of P1730 / 99MX package is included for illustration purposes only and is not necessarily a component of the interface signals on the output of the transport chip. The data is transmitted to the defined destinations only when SCID for the received packet matches the SCID that needs to be removed by filtering the bitstream for a particular data destination. Figures 7a-7c show a match in both the video SCID and the DVHS SCID. As shown in Figures 7b-7c, the DVHS stroboscopes will be active for the entire duration of the 130-byte packet, while the video stroboscope is active only during the portion of the packet that contains the video data destined for the subsystem Of video. Additionally, in this application, the transport processor 60 can insert a 5-byte medium error field (MEF) into the packet intended for video. This function is used when the transport processor 60 is recovering from packet loss in a video SCID. The MEF data is not selected by stroboscope to the DVHS interface device 408. A key concept of the present invention is that the data can be placed on the bus 400 only once and selected by stroboscope to destination A only, destination B only, or to destinations A and B simul- anally.

P1730 / 99MX Figures 8a-8d illustrate an example wherein the data intended for both the audio decoders 606 and video 604 are included in the list of the SCIDs that need to be sent to the DVHS interface device 408. In this case, the DVHS stroboscopes are active for the packages that belong to the video and audio SCID. The timing requirements of the common video / audio / high speed / DVHS interface are determined by the worst case requirement along with the four or more logical interfaces that need to be supported. Figures 8a-8d show that although the data being sent to the video destination may vary depending on the packet, the data being sent to the DVHS port is always 130 bytes. Having thus described the invention, it will be obvious that it can be varied in many ways. These variations should not be viewed as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications that are obvious to those skilled in the art are included within the scope of the following claims.

P1730 / 99MX

Claims (22)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following CLAIMS is claimed as property; 1. A method for distributing data to multiple destinations, where the method comprises: placing the data in the form of packets, once on a data bus; To output strobe signals to multiple destinations, the strobe signals identify whether each of the multiple destinations will receive the data packets in their entirety or portions of the data packets or any portion of the data packets that are placed on the data bus; and providing the complete data packets or portions thereof to the destinations identified by the stroboscope signals. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data packets include a loading portion and a control portion. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the data packets are DIRECTVMR transport packets. The method according to claim 2, wherein the data packets are MPEG transport packets. P1730 / 99MX 5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the control portion includes a header and a continuity account. The method according to claim 2, wherein the load portion includes audio and video data. The method according to claim 6, wherein the audio and video data represent television programming. The method according to claim 6, wherein the audio and video data are compressed. The method according to claim 8, wherein the audio data is compressed according to an MPEG standard or a DolbyMR digital standard and the video data is compressed according to an MPEG standard. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiple destinations include a video decoder, an audio decoder, a high-speed data port, a DVHS interface device and a 1394 interface device. 11. An apparatus for distributing data to multiple destinations, the apparatus comprises: a device for placing data in the form of packets once on a data bus; a device for outputting strobe signals to selected multiple destinations, strobe signals identify whether each P1730 / 99MX of the multiple destinations will receive the data packets in full, or portions of the data packets, or any portion of the data packets that are placed on the data bus; the device provides the entire data packets or portions of the data packets to the destinations identified by the strobe signals. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the device further includes a demultiplexer for demultiplexing either the entire data packets or the portions of the data packets, to the selected multiple destinations. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the device further descrambles the data packets before demultiplexing by the demultiplexer. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the data packets include a loading portion and a control portion. 15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the data packets are DIRECTVMR transport packets. 16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the data packets are MPEG transport packets. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the control portion includes a header P1730 / 99MX and a continuity account. 18. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the load portion includes audio and video data. 19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the audio and video data represent TV programming. 20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the audio and video data are compressed. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the audio data is compressed according to a digital MPEG or DolbyMR standard and the video data is compressed according to an MPEG standard. 22. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the multiple destinations include a video decoder, an audio decoder, a high-speed data port, a DVHS interface device and a 1394 interface device. P1730 / 99MX