Arris Enterprises LLC

Comcast Cable Holdings, LLC

Other

Comcast Cable Communications, LLC

Robert S Heiman

Walt Michel

Errol J D'Souza

Thomas L Du Breuil

Thomas L Dubreuil

Methods and systems to manage narrowcast bandwidth are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a channel tune request from a set top box associated with a service group, and determining whether current total bandwidth use by the service group is at or above a first predetermined threshold. The method additionally includes multicasting a high bitrate version of a requested channel to the set top boxes of the service group when the current total bandwidth use by the service group is below the first predetermined threshold. The requested channel corresponds to the received channel tune request. The method further includes multicasting a low bitrate version of the requested channel to the set top boxes of the service group when the current total bandwidth use by the service group is at or above the first predetermined threshold.

Active video bandwidth management using SDV control

A system for delivering content is provided that uses switched digital video (SDV), adaptive bit rate (ABR) streaming techniques and an ABR to Legacy Transport Stream (ALTS) converter for converting the ABR streams to a QAM-based transport stream, all under control of the SDV session manager. In operation, the SDV system can be used to select an ABR profile for a service that is destined for a QAM set top terminal based on the currently available bandwidth. Moreover, the ABR profile may be changed upward (i.e., a profile requiring a greater bandwidth) or downward (i.e., a profile requiring less bandwidth) on a dynamic basis as the number of requested services changes.

Elastic switched digital video (SDV) traffic control with adaptive bit rate streaming

A system and method for use in a cable network to acquire electronic programming guide (EPG) content signals from one or more EPG vendors. The system includes a set-top box (STB) for receiving cable signals and EPG signals from a headend controller so that the STB can output the signals to a media output device for display. A conversion table is provided to each STB for use by the STB in determining source IDs associated with a given channel for each EPG vendor, the source IDs for use in acquiring the EPG content signals.

Method and system for acquiring electronic programming guide signals

A lip and skin care product that is essentially devoid of petroleum products, is liquid at temperatures from 28 to 206 degrees Fahrenheit, and comprises in excess of 3 weight percent propolis and in excess of 1 weight percent tea tree oil, and is applied from a dispenser made of a material that is inert with respect to the active ingredients of tea tree leaf oil and propolis.

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Warrington, PA, United States of America

Robert S Heiman