Abstract: Interactive program guide (IPG) data is delivered to a receiver from which a program guide can be retrieved. The IPG data includes schedule-data for each of a plurality of time slots, description-data for each of the plurality of time slots, and non-time-sensitive foundation data.

Abstract: A CM terminal uses a predetermined suppression algorithm for removing a field that varies in a known pattern from a payload header of an information packet being transmitted to a remote CMTS terminal; and the CMTS terminal uses a predetermined restoration algorithm that is complementary to the predetermined suppression algorithm for restoring the removed field to the payload header of an information packet received from the CM terminal. The CM terminal and the CMTS terminal process and exchange service control messages that include DOCSIS PHS encoding extensions identifying the variable fields that are to be removed from the payload headers of discrete information packets and indicating respective schemes for restoring the identified variable fields and further include suppression-enable-flag values for the variable fields, to thereby define pertinent parameters of the suppression and restoration algorithms.