Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method, system and/or apparatus for processing a broadcast television signal transmitted over a broadcast medium. A method of processing a digital television ‘TV’ signal at a customer premises system comprises the steps of: receiving a digital TV signal over a digital TV broadcast medium; converting packet data comprising said received digital TV signal to internet protocol ‘IP’ data packets; and transmitting said IP data packets to a customer premises; IP device or IP network. A customer premises apparatus for processing a digital television ‘TV’ signal comprises: means for receiving a digital TV signal over a digital TV broadcast medium; processing means for converting packet data comprising said received digital TV signal to internet protocol ‘IP’ data packets; and means for transmitting said IP data packets to a customer IP device or IP network.

Abstract: A video-on-demand (VoD) system comprises at least one server and a number of subscriber units connected to the server by way of a network (e.g. an ATM network). The server comprises a processing unit, data storage means for storing video data, and service supply means for responding to requests from subscribers by dispatching sequences of video data from said storage means over the network to said subscribers. The service supply means comprises a video application running in user space in the processing unit, and a VoD kernel I/O driver (VKID) running in kernel space in the processing unit, for reading data from said data storage means and dispatching the data to said network, in response to commands from the video application. Because the VKID is a kernel level module, it can perform this transfer quickly and efficiently, without the overhead of copying the data to and from user space.