Synchronizing a packetized digital datastream to an output processor in a television signal processing system

In a system for processing a packetized digital datastream containing video information, apparatus comprising:

• transport processor means (20, 25) responsive to input data (10) for producing data packets;
• means (40) for processing said data packets produced by said transport processor means, said processing means acquiring said data packets during acquisition intervals and processing data packets during processing intervals between said acquisition intervals;
• means (25, 30, 32, 34) for conveying data packets to said processing means;
• and
• synchronizing means (32, 36, 38, 312, 314, 318), coupled to said transport processor means and to said means for processing said data packets, responsive to the condition of a datastream from said transport processor means to facilitate automatic alignment of a reference data component (sync byte) of a data packet with a beginning of each acquisition interval in a normal operating condition of said system, and to facilitate said automatic alignment upon cessation of an abnormal condition wherein a normal datastream from said transport processor means is disrupted.