Digital entertainment terminal providing multiple digital pictures

An apparatus comprising:

• a digital video processor decompressing a first stream of compressed, digital data representing a first video program into decompressed first video data having a first resolution, the digital video processor outputting a video signal representing a frame of said first video data having a portion overlaid by decompressed second video data having a corresponding second resolution less than the first resolution;
• an application processor partially decompressing a second stream of compressed, digital data representing a second video program into said second video data;
• and
• a memory storing executable software, the application processor partially decompressing the second data stream in is response to execution of said software.

An apparatus comprising:

• a digital video processor decompressing a first stream of compressed, digital data representing a first video program into decompressed first video data having a first resolution, the digital video processor outputting a video signal representing a frame of said first video data having a portion overlaid by decompressed second video data having a corresponding second resolution less than the first resolution;
• an application processor partially decompressing a second stream of compressed, digital data representing a second video program into said second video data;
• and
• a communication interface receiving said first and second streams, the application processor outputting signaling data to the interface, the interface outputting the signaling data for upstream transmission to a digital communications network supplying the first and second streams.

An apparatus comprising:

• a digital video processor decompressing a first stream of compressed, digital data representing a first video program into decompressed first video data having a first resolution, the digital video processor outputting a video signal representing a frame of said first video data having a portion overlaid by decompressed second video data having a corresponding second resolution less than the first resolution;
• and
• an application processor partially decompressing a second stream of compressed, digital data representing a second video program into said second video data;
• wherein:
• the first and second streams carry MPEG-encoded video data as said respective compressed, digital data and carrying I frames, B frames, and P frames;
• and
• the application processor selectively skips at least one of the I frames, B frames, and P frames of said second stream in response to a processing delay time generated during said partial decompressing of the MPEG-encoded video data of said second stream.

An apparatus comprising:

• a digital video processor decompressing a first stream of compressed, digital data representing a first video program into decompressed first video data having a first resolution, the digital video Processor outputting a video signal representing a frame of said first video data having a portion overlaid by decompressed second video data having a corresponding second resolution less than the first resolution;
• and
• an application processor partially decompressing a second stream of compressed, digital data representing a second video program into said second video data;
• wherein:
• the first and second streams carry MPEG-encoded video data having respective identifiers;
• the application processor comprises a microprocessor and a MPEG demultiplexer selectively routing the first and second streams to the digital video processor and the microprocessor in response to the respective identifiers;
• and
• the digital video processor comprises:
• (1) an MPEG decoder decompressing the MPEG-encoded video data from the first stream, and
• (2) a graphics overlay controller receiving the first and second video data at first and second frame rates, respectively, and in response generating said video signal.

An apparatus comprising:

• a digital video processor decompressing a first stream of compressed, digital data representing a first video program into decompressed first video data having a first resolution, the digital video processor outputting a video signal representing a frame of said first video data having a portion overlaid by decompressed second video data having a corresponding second resolution less than the first resolution;
• and
• an application processor partially decompressing a second stream of compressed, digital data representing a second video program into said second video data;
• wherein the digital video processor comprises:
• a media processor decompressing said first stream of compressed, digital data;
• and
• a memory storing code executable by the media processor to control the decompressing of the first stream of compressed, digital data.

A digital entertainment terminal comprising:

• an MPEG decoder receiving a first stream of MPEG-encoded data representing a first video program and in response outputting first digital video data at a first resolution, the first digital video data representing at least a substantial portion of the first video program;
• a microprocessor executing software having a routine for partially decompressing MPEG-encoded data, the microprocessor partially decompressing a second stream of MPEG-encoded data and outputting, at a second resolution less than the first resolution, second digital video data representing a second video program;
• and
• a graphics display driver outputting a video signal simultaneously displaying the second video program and at least said portion of the first video program.

A method of generating a video signal of first and second video programs, comprising:

• receiving first and second MPEG-encoded streams carrying the first and second video programs, respectively;
• decoding at least a substantial portion of the first MPEG-encoded stream in an MPEG decoder and outputting decompressed, first digital data carrying the first video program;
• partially decoding the second MPEG-encoded stream and generating second digital data carrying a limited-resolution representation of the second video program;
• combining the first and second digital data in a video memory;
• and
• outputting from the video memory the video signal carrying a frame of the combined data.

A digital entertainment terminal comprising:

• an application processor receiving multiplexed digital data carrying first and second streams of compressed, digital data representing first and second programs, respectively, the first and second streams having first and second identifiers, respectively, the application processor outputting the first stream of compressed digital data and a portion of the second stream of compressed, digital data in response to the respective first and second identifiers;
• and
• a media processor decompressing at least the first stream into first decompressed video data representing said first program, the media processor combining said first decompressed video data with second decompressed video data generated from said portion of the second stream and outputting the combined first and second video data as a video signal representing a video frame simultaneously displaying at least portions of said first and second video programs;
• wherein said portion of the second stream is partially decompressed into said second decompressed video data by one of said application processor and said media processor.