Optimizing method for digital content delivery in a multicast network

A method for scheduling delivery of digital objects from a transmission source having a finite number of transmission channels having scheduled transmissions, comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of user interfaces having a capability for selecting digital objects to be transmitted from the transmission source, the transmission source providing cyclical transmissions of the digital objects over available channel bandwidth;
• selecting from a user interface an object to be transmitted to the user interface;
• identifying in-progress object transmissions corresponding to the selected object;
• receiving at least a portion of the selected object from the in-progress object transmissions;
• identifying remaining portions of the selected object not yet received;
• scheduling transmission of the remaining portions of the object;
• and
• receiving the remaining portions of the object during scheduled time periods.

A system for scheduling delivery of digital objects over a network, comprising:

• at least one user interface for selecting objects to be transmitted thereto, the user interface for identifying and receiving in-progress object transmissions corresponding to the selected objects;
• a transmission source for transmitting objects to the at least one user interface, the transmission source providing cyclical object transmissions;
• and
• a scheduler for managing usage of network channels and object transmission priority, the scheduler for scheduling requests of the at least one user interface to provide to the user interface remaining portions of the selected objects not yet received during scheduled time periods.