Digital domain content processing and distribution apparatus and methods

A method of providing on-demand content to a user of a content distribution network, the method comprising:

• receiving a request from a user for a digital content element;
• accessing the digital content element at an on-demand server;
• transmitting the accessed digital content element as part of a single program transport stream (SPTS) to a transformation device;
• transforming, at the transformation device, the received digital content element to one or more frequency domain signals using digital domain processing;
• and
• transmitting the transformed signals to the user over one or more radio frequency carriers.

A method of providing a plurality of content elements to a plurality of users of a content distribution network, the method comprising:

• accessing at least one of a plurality of digital content sources in communication with said network;
• transmitting the accessed digital content elements as part of a multi-program transport stream (MPTS) to a transformation device;
• transforming, at the transformation device, the received digital content elements to one or more frequency domain signals using digital domain processing;
• and
• transmitting the transformed signals to the users over one or more radio frequency carriers.

A method of providing a plurality of heterogeneous types of content products to various ones of a plurality of users of a content distribution network, the method comprising:

• receiving said heterogeneous types of content from one or more content sources;
• allocating the different types of content to frequency resources;
• performing digital domain processing on said content to effect said allocating, said processing comprising processing said different types of content as single program transports;
• and
• transmitting the converted content to the plurality of users over the allocated frequency resources as part of a multiple program transport.

A content distribution network having a substantially flat topology, comprising:

• spectrum generation apparatus disposed substantially at an edge of the network and configured to perform digital domain processing of content to transform said content from a multiplexed time domain input to a frequency domain output;
• first apparatus for distributing said content from one or more sources to said spectrum generation apparatus;
• and
• second apparatus for distributing the transformed content to one or more network distribution nodes;
• wherein said transformed content is delivered to said one or more distribution nodes without having to be multiplexed into a transport stream.

A content distribution network, comprising:

• spectrum generation apparatus disposed substantially at an edge of the network and configured to perform digital domain processing of content to transform said content from a time domain input to a frequency domain output;
• first apparatus for distributing said content from one or more sources to said spectrum generation apparatus;
• and
• second apparatus for distributing the transformed content a plurality of hierarchical service groups that are virtually created in a time division multiplexed domain, and subscribed to by the spectrum generation apparatus;
• wherein said spectrum generation apparatus further is configured to perform combining of a plurality of signals in the digital domain without the need for RF combining and insertion using physical conduction media.