Adaptive video subscriber system and methods for its use

A subscriber system adapted for receiving compressed data and for generating from the received data video and audio signals respectively adapted for producing a visible image and an audible sound, said subscriber system comprising:

• a control microprocessor for controlling the operation of the subscriber system;
• a communication subsystem, responsive to commands from said control microprocessor, for receiving compressed data transmitted to said subscriber system, and for separating the compressed data into compressed video data and compressed audio data;
• a programmable video data format conversion subsystem, responsive to commands from said control microprocessor, for receiving compressed video data directly from said communication subsystem and for converting received compressed video data into video data, said programmable video data format conversion subsystem operating under control of a video data conversion computer program selected from a plurality of video data conversion computer programs by said control microprocessor, each video data conversion computer program being capable of converting video data compressed in accordance with a particular pre-specified conversion standard into video data;
• a video signal generation subsystem, responsive to commands from said control microprocessor, for receiving video data from said programmable video data format conversion subsystem, and for generating from the received video data a video signal adapted for producing a visible image;
• a programmable audio data format conversion subsystem, responsive to commands from said control microprocessor, for receiving compressed audio data, and for converting received compressed audio data into audio data, said programmable audio data format conversion subsystem operating under control of an audio data conversion computer program selected from a plurality of audio data conversion computer programs by said control microprocessor, each audio data conversion computer program being capable of converting audio data compressed in accordance with a particular pre-specified conversion standard into audio data;
• and
• an audio signal generation subsystem, responsive to commands from said control microprocessor, for receiving audio data from said audio data format conversion subsystem, and for generating from the received audio data an audio signal adapted for producing an audible sound.