Abstract: A digital video distribution system is disclosed which includes video terminals connected within a LAN and distributes video from a certain terminal to destination terminals, simultaneously. In this system, each transmitter terminal has an encoder that converts analog video information from a corresponding video source to digitally compressed video information. A hub are connected to the video terminals to distribute digitally compressed video information from a transmitter terminal to multiple destination (receiver) terminals in accordance with a multicast communication protocol. Each of the receiver terminals has an address filter for selecting a packet from among multicast communication packets that has a desired source address as valid video information. The receiver further has a decoder for converting digitally encoded information received as valid to original analog video information with expansion.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 12, 1997
Date of Patent:
December 12, 2000
Assignees:
Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc., NTT Electronics Corporation