Program information is transmitted and received via a communication line, and a scheduling operation can be performed based on the program information via the communication line. For that purpose, a communication system includes a receiving apparatus, a server, and an information processing apparatus which are configured to transmit data to and receive data from one another via the communication line. The information processing apparatus includes an EPG requester and a display EPG receiver. The server includes an EPG request receiver, an EPG request transmitter, an EPG receiver, an EPG converter, and a display EPG transmitter. The receiving apparatus includes an EPG obtainer, an EPG request acceptor, an EPG extractor, and an EPG transmitter.

A method for processing video stream data, including: acquiring video source information of video streams having multiple resolutions; selecting, according to the video source information, a video stream having a highest resolution as a target video stream, and playing the target video stream; switching to a lower resolution video stream, if a network error or a decoding error occurs in the playing process; and playing the lower resolution video stream. Is addition, embodiments of the present invention further provide a corresponding apparatus and system for processing data of a video stream.

Method for the selective extraction, by a terminal, of at least one image to be extracted contained in an encrypted video stream, multiple encrypted versions of said encrypted video stream being stored on a server incapable of decrypting said encrypted versions of the video stream, said multiple encrypted versions comprising at least a low resolution version and a high resolution version, each encrypted version of said encrypted video stream being divided into encrypted blocks, each encrypted block containing multiple encrypted images, said method comprising: selection of an encrypted block from the low resolution encrypted version of the encrypted video stream, said encrypted block containing an image to be extracted; selection of a subset of said encrypted bock containing said image to be extracted; transmission, by the server to the terminal, of said subset; decryption of said subset by the terminal; extraction by the terminal, of said image to be extracted, from said decrypted subset.

This invention relates to an encoding/transmitting apparatus that is used to transmit moving-picture data from a transmitting side to a receiving side through a transmission path and to subject the moving-picture data to streaming in the receiving side. The apparatus has an external-output request determining unit (16) that monitors the state of a network. If the network assumes an undesirable state, the unit (16) causes a multiplex output unit (15) to stop multiplexing data. When the network assumes a good state, the unit (15) starts multiplexing the data again. A video encoding unit (11) and an audio encoding unit (12) keep encoding data, whether the multiplex output unit (15) is multiplexing data or not. When the area occupied by encoded data in an encoded-video-data storage unit (13) and the area occupied by encoded data in an encoded-audio-data storage unit (14) exceed a predetermined value, the units (11) and (12) stop encoding data, and wait until the area occupied by encoded data sufficiently decreases.

A method for determining an identifier of a conditional access card used in a conditional access system, in which the conditional access card autonomously modulates the timing of data packets sent by the conditional access card, to form a timing sequence that corresponds to the identifier of the card. The sequence is generated by a predefined non-linear function stored on the conditional access card, and the predefined non-linear function depends on both the identifier of the conditional access card and a non-linear random sequence that is known to the conditional access card and a monitoring station that receives transmissions from the conditional access card.

Methods and systems for processing instructions by an online video game hosting system are provided. One example method includes receiving a control signal for a video game. The control signal is received by a server of the online video game hosting system, and the control signal is transmitted from a client device to the server over a network. Then, executing the online video game by the server while receiving the control signal. The executing causes generation of a sequence of video frames and encoding the sequence of video frames to generate a first compressed sequence of video frames and generate a second compressed sequence of video frames. Transmitting the first compressed sequence of video frames to the client device over the network for decoding by the client device to produce a first decoded sequence of video frames for displaying on a display of the client device. Receiving feedback information from the client device, the feedback information used to determine whether one or more of the first compressed sequence of video frames has been successfully decoded at the client device and modifying the encoding of the sequence of video frames in response to the feedback information. The second compressed sequence of video frames are directed to a storage associated with the server and wherein the quality of the second compressed sequence of video frames is higher than a quality of the first compressed sequence of video frames.

Methods and systems for processing instructions by an online video game hosting system are provided. One example method includes receiving a control signal for a video game. The control signal is received by a server of the online video game hosting system, and the control signal is transmitted from a client device to the server over a network. Then, executing the online video game by the server while receiving the control signal. The executing causes generation of a sequence of video frames and encoding the sequence of video frames to generate a first compressed sequence of video frames and generate a second compressed sequence of video frames. Transmitting the first compressed sequence of video frames to the client device over the network for decoding by the client device to produce a first decoded sequence of video frames for displaying on a display of the client device. Receiving feedback information from the client device, the feedback information used to determine whether one or more of the first compressed sequence of video frames has been successfully decoded at the client device and modifying the encoding of the sequence of video frames in response to the feedback information. The second compressed sequence of video frames are directed to a storage associated with the server and wherein the quality of the second compressed sequence of video frames is higher than a quality of the first compressed sequence of video frames.

A method for determining an identifier of a conditional access card used in a conditional access system, in which the conditional access card autonomously modulates the timing of data packets sent by the conditional access card, according to a sequence that depends on the identifier of the card. The sequence is generated by a predefined non-linear function stored on the conditional access card, and the predefined non-linear function depends on both the identifier of the conditional access card and a non-linear random sequence that is known to the conditional access card and a monitoring station that receives transmissions from the conditional access card.

A receiving terminal in a hybrid network receives a video stream through a broadcasting network. The receiving terminal receives a high speed video stream streamed at a high speed for a defined first period from a first time when switching from the broadcasting network to a communication network depending on a receiving state of the broadcasting network is determined, receives a live video stream streamed in a live form from any one time of the first period, and generates a continuous video stream using the video stream received through the broadcasting network, the high speed video stream, and the live video stream.

A receiving terminal in a hybrid network receives a video stream through a broadcasting network. The receiving terminal receives a high speed video stream streamed at a high speed for a defined first period from a first time when switching from the broadcasting network to a communication network depending on a receiving state of the broadcasting network is determined, receives a live video stream streamed in a live form from any one time of the first period, and generates a continuous video stream using the video stream received through the broadcasting network, the high speed video stream, and the live video stream.