Shared receiving systems utilizing telephone cables as video drops

Abstract

Within a desired service area, multiple transmitters at separately located sites simultaneously broadcast the same multi-channel, multi-program signal. Broadcast waves from the transmitters propagate throughout substantially overlapping portions of the service area. At most receiving sites, the receiving antenna can receive a clear line-of-sight transmission from at least one and often two or more of the transmitters. Each broadcast channel carries a multiplexed digital data stream containing packets of information for a plurality of programs, e.g. television programs. A shared antenna system, typically including multiple receiving antennae aimed at a plurality of the transmitters, supplies received signals to terminals in a plurality of living units. The shared receiving system distributes selected channels of digitized data to terminals in different living units via the telephone wiring for those units. The shared system also provides an interface to a broadband landline network carrying broadcast channels with multiplexed transport streams formatted in essentially the same manner as the wireless broadcast information. The shared system can selectively supply RF broadcast streams from the landline network over the telephone wiring to the living units, in the same manner as for the wireless transmissions.