Abstract: A device and method are provided for merging one or more secondary audio channels, received from either a streaming application or from memory, with a primary stream of audio data output from a main audio decoder. In addition to the audio decoder, the device/method employs a controller for processing received secondary audio data in a streaming application, and retrieving from system memory audio PCM data once stored. An audio playback device is provided for formatting the PCM data for mixing with the primary stream of audio data output from the audio decoder. Multiple digital-to-analog converters convert the multiple streams of audio data into analog signals which are then mixed into a single merged audio signal for presentation.

Abstract: A method of changing the channels in a digital video and audio receiving system. The method includes receiving and decoding the encoded digital video and audio in a decoder, where the input is a multi-channel, time division multiplexed digital video and digital audio datastream. The datastream contains many Programs, each of the Programs includes a video packetized elementary stream, and an audio packetized elementary stream, each of which, in turn, contains a packet header, and packet data. The channel change method is a process of changing input channels from an old channel datastream to a new channel datastream with a minimum of latency. The method includes setting appropriate flags to request the channel change, acknowledging the requests, flushing buffers, muting audio output and/or freezing video output, and activating a data request line for new channel bitstream data.