Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a composite of stored dynamic background activities with newly filmed or captured live foreground activities, thereby providing a real-time and on-site guide to actors and directors.

Abstract: Image signals are transcoded from a first format to a second format, by employing multi-tap horizontal and vertical filters. The first format has higher horizontal and vertical resolution than the second format. The multi-tap horizontal filter filters lines of the image signals to convert the horizontal resolution of the first format into the horizontal resolution of the second format, wherein the horizontal filter has a filter tap ratio selected in accordance with the horizontal ratio of the first format to the second format. The multi-tap vertical filter for filtering columns of the image signals to convert the vertical resolution of the first format into the vertical resolution of the second format, wherein the vertical filter has a filter tap ratio selected in accordance with the vertical ratio of the first format to the second format.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for optimizing the operation of a packet transport system generating a packet stream carrying a plurality of component signals, and includes the following steps. First the packet stream is partitioned into successive groups, each group containing a predetermined number of packet slots. A plurality of lists are maintained, one associated with each packet slot in a group. A packet stream is generated by placing data representing a component signal selected in response to entries in the list associated with that packet slot into the packet slot. The contents of the plurality of lists are updated based on a predetermined parameter.