Multi-Room DVD Playback via HDD Transcoding and PID Remapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing broadband communications systems do not efficiently enable playing a DVD at a primary set-top box in a networked multi-room system and simultaneously or at varying times on multiple remote devices, limiting user access and functionality.

Innovation Solution

The system allows for DVD playback by copying content to the primary device's hard drive, transcoding it into an MPEG transport stream, and remapping PID values, enabling simultaneous or delayed viewing on remote devices while ensuring security through encryption and permissions management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If DVD content is copied to the primary device's hard drive for multi-room playback, then user access and functionality are enhanced, but system complexity increases due to transcoding and PID remapping requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser accessVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The primary device acts as an intermediary between the DVD source and remote devices, performing transcoding and PID remapping to enable compatibility across the network. This mediator approach allows the system to handle format conversions and protocol adaptations centrally, reducing the complexity burden on individual remote devices while maintaining broad user access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the DVD playback functionality into distinct components: the primary device handles content acquisition, transcoding, and storage, while remote devices handle only playback. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the primary device managing the complex processing tasks and remote devices providing simple playback capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If DVD content is stored on the primary device's hard drive, then multiple users can view content simultaneously or at varying times, but storage requirements and data management complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimultaneous playback capabilityVSAvoidstorage requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates digital copies of DVD content on the primary device's hard drive, allowing multiple remote devices to access and play back the same content simultaneously or at different times. This copying mechanism eliminates the need for multiple physical DVD players or simultaneous disc usage, enabling versatile multi-user access while managing storage centrally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If content is transcoded to MPEG transport stream with remapped PID values, then compatibility with remote devices is improved, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice compatibilityVSAvoidtranscoding time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs transcoding and PID remapping in advance, during the content copying phase, so that when remote devices request playback, the content is already in the appropriate format. This preliminary processing eliminates delays at playback time, as the format conversion is completed beforehand and stored in the ready-to-play state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8280229B2DVD playback over multi-room by copying to HDD

Publication Date: 2012.10.02 HELIOS STREAMING LLC

AI summary

DVD playback over Multi-room by copying to the hard drive of a primary device in a networked multi-room system (NMS). The DVD content is saved to a hard drive and can then be retrieved by any of the remote devices in the NMS by accessing the program guide or the recorded programs list. The DVD menu can be altered to include previews, contests, products, etc.