Abstract: A number of channels of data, including audio, image, text, and support data are collected at one or more centralized servers. The individual channels are edited and processed for content and format, including the deletion and insertion of advertising content as well as inserting markers to indicate acceptable locations for additional content to be added. The edited and processed channels are sent to a plurality of transmission servers for additional processing and transmission. The transmission servers process one or more of the channels including the insertion of content at designated markers and the combination of the channels of data into a single, packetized data transfer stream. The data transfer stream is broadcast to a plurality of receiving units which de-packetize the original data channels and present any selected channel to the user of the receiving unit.

Abstract: A number of channels of data, including audio, image, text, and support data are collected at one or more centralized servers. The individual channels are edited and processed for content and format, including the deletion and insertion of advertising content as well as inserting markers to indicate acceptable locations for additional content to be added. The edited and processed channels are sent to a plurality of transmission servers for additional processing and transmission. The transmission servers process one or more of the channels including the insertion of content at designated markers and the combination of the channels of data into a single, packetized data transfer stream. The data transfer stream is broadcast to a plurality of receiving units which de-packetize the original data channels and present any selected channel to the user of the receiving unit.

Abstract: A number of channels of data, including audio, image, text, and support data are collected at one or more centralized servers. The individual channels are edited and processed for content and format, including the deletion and insertion of advertising content and markers to indicate locations for additional content. These channels are then sent to a plurality of transmission servers for processing one or more of the channels including the insertion of content at designated markers and the combination of the channels of data into a single, packetized data transfer stream. The transmission servers broadcast the data transfer stream to a plurality of receiving units which de-packetize the original data channels and present any selected channel to the user of the receiving unit. The receiving units send status information back to the centralized servers where the data is processed and analyzed to evaluate the present and future use of advertisements.

Abstract: A number of channels of data, including audio, image, text, and support data are collected at one or more centralized servers. The individual channels are edited and processed for content and format, including the deletion and insertion of advertising content and markers to indicate locations for additional content. These channels are then sent to a plurality of transmission servers for processing one or more of the channels including the insertion of content at designated markers and the combination of the channels of data into a single, packetized data transfer stream. The transmission servers broadcast the data transfer stream to a plurality of receiving units which de-packetize the original data channels and present any selected channel to the user of the receiving unit. The receiving units send status information back to the centralized servers where the data is processed and analyzed to evaluate the present and future use of advertisements.

Abstract: A number of channels of data, including audio, image, text, and support data are collected at one or more centralized servers. The individual channels are edited and processed for content and format, including the deletion and insertion of advertising content as well as inserting markers to indicate acceptable locations for additional content to be added. The edited and processed channels are sent to a plurality of transmission servers for additional processing and transmission. The transmission servers process one or more of the channels including the insertion of content at designated markers and the combination of the channels of data into a single, packetized data transfer stream. The data transfer stream is broadcast to a plurality of receiving units which de-packetize the original data channels and present any selected channel to the user of the receiving unit.

Abstract: A number of channels of data, including audio, image, text, and support data are collected at one or more centralized servers. The individual channels are edited and processed for content and format, including the deletion and insertion of advertising content as well as inserting markers to indicate acceptable locations for additional content to be added. The edited and processed channels are sent to a plurality of transmission servers for additional processing and transmission. The transmission servers process one or more of the channels including the insertion of content at designated markers and the combination of the channels of data into a single; packetized data transfer stream. The data transfer stream is broadcast to a plurality of receiving units which de-packetize the original data channels and present any selected channel to the user of the receiving unit.

Abstract: A data gathering system includes a plurality of remote units which are controlled from a central location. Each of the remote units is attached to a television receiver which is generally but not necessarily attached to a cable system. Each of the remote units can function to determine which of several TV modes is in use as well as to store TV channel selector data, data from an optical input device, and/or data input by viewers representative of the composition of the viewing audience. The data is stored for either later collection by a portable data collector, or for direct transmission via telephone to the central location. A video message for a TV viewer, such as a survey, may be transmitted from the central location and stored at the remote units, for later display on the TV receiver associated with the remote units. Substitution of alternate programming information may also be achieved by the central control point on selected of the remote units.

Abstract: A data gathering system includes a plurality of remote units which are controlled from a central location. Each of the remote units is attached to a television receiver which is generally but not necessarily attached to a cable system. Each of the remote units can function to determine which of several TV modes is in use as well as to store TV channel selector data, data from an optical input device, and/or data input by viewers representative of the composition of the viewing audience. The data is stored for either later collection by a portable data collector, or for direct transmission to the central location. A video message for a TV viewer, such as a survey, may be transmitted from the central location and stored at the remote units, for later display on the TV receiver associated with the remote units. Substitution of alternate programming information may also be achieved by the central control point on selected of the remote units.

Abstract: A data gathering system includes a plurality of remote units which are controlled from a central location. Each of the remote units is attached to a television receiver which is generally but not necessarily attached to a cable system. Each of the remote units functions to determine which of several TV modes is in use as well as to store TV channel selector data and data from an optical input device. All this data is stored for later transmission by each of the remote units to a central data collecting point. A video message for a TV viewer, such as a survey, may be transmitted from the central location and stored at the remote units, for later display on the TV receiver associated with the remote units. Substitution of alternate programming information may also be achieved by the central control point on selected of the remote units.