Universal STB architectures and control methods

A universal digital data system providing full digital services via a uni-directional communications link over a plurality of channels, each of said channels providing one of VOD or digital broadcast, said universal digital data system comprising:

• a broadcast medium;
• a universal broadcast system uni-directionally coupled to said broadcast medium, said universal broadcast system including:
• digital broadcast circuitry for a first channel of said universal digital data system, said first channel being a digital broadcast channel, said digital broadcast circuitry being operable to generate digital broadcast data over said first channel;
• data-on-demand circuitry for a second channel of said universal digital data system, said second channel being a data-on-demand channel, said data-on-demand circuitry operable to generate on-demand data over said second channel;
• a central controlling server operable to control said digital broadcast circuitry and said data-on-demand circuitry, said central controlling server further operable to generate an electronic program guide (EPG) including information indicating the nature of data transmitted via said first channel and said second channel;
• broadcast circuitry operable to transmit via said broadcast medium said EPG and other data over said first channel and said second channel;
• and
• a universal STB coupled to said broadcast medium, said STB operable to process digital data received via said broadcast medium including determining the nature of data received in said plurality of channels via information provided in said electronic program guide, said STB further operable to tune said STB to a specific channel in order to select data requested by said user, determine the nature of said selected data, decode said selected data, decompress said selected data, re-assemble said decoded data, store said selected data to said memory, and provide said selected data in a properly processed manner to an output device.