MPEG decoder providing multiple standard output signals

A digital video decoder which receives and decodes an encoded video signal and is operated in one of a first and a second mode, of which the video decoder provides the video signal as a display video signal having a respective display resolution and a respective display format, the video decoder comprising:

• a terminal for receiving an encoded video signal;
• decoding circuitry which operates in the first mode to decode the received encoded video signal to provide a decoded video signal having a first spatial resolution and which operates in the second mode to provide the decoded video signal having a second spatial resolution which is less than the first spatial resolution;
• and
• formatting circuitry including
• a spatial filter that, when the decoding circuitry operates in the second mode, is responsive to a formatting control signal to process the decoded video signal to change the spatial resolution of the decoded video signal to a filtered video portion as at least one display video signal at a respective output port and with a respective display format and having a respective display spatial resolution, different from the first and second spatial resolutions, and
• means for providing the video portion as at least one display video signal at a respective output port and with a respective display format;
• control means for switching the decoder between the first and second modes and for providing the formatting control signal to the formatting circuitry.

A digital video decoder which receives an encoded video signal having an encoded video portion and an encoded audio portion, the video decoder comprising:

• a transport decoder, coupled to receive the encoded video signal, which separates the encoded video signal into the encoded video portion and the encoded audio portion;
• a video decoder including:
• a memory having a first and a second section;
• decoding circuitry which decodes the received encoded video portion to provide the video portion of the video signal having a respective resolution;
• digital filtering circuitry, coupled to the decoding circuitry, which, when the decoder is operated in a second mode, digitally filters the received encoded video portion to provide a filtered video portion having a respective resolution, the resolution of the filtered video portion being no greater than the resolution of the video portion of the video signal,
• wherein the decoding circuitry employs the first and the second section of the memory to decode the encoded video portion when the video decoder is operated in the first mode, and the decoding circuitry employs the first section to decode the encoded video portion when the digital filtering circuitry is enabled and the video decoder is operated in the first mode
• formatting circuitry which formats the video portion of the video signal according to at least one received display format, the formatting circuitry including;
• means for providing the video portion as at least one display video signal at a respective output port and with a respective display format, the at least one display video signal having the resolution of the video portion of the video signal when the video decoder is operated in a first mode, and
• means for providing the filtered video portion as at least one display video signal at a respective output port and with a respective display format, the at least one display video signal having the corresponding resolution of the filtered video portion of the video signal when the video decoder is operated in the second mode;
• and
• means for switching the decoder between the first and second modes;
• and
• an audio decoder which decodes the audio portion and provides the audio portion with each corresponding display video signal.

A method of decoding an encoded video signal with a digital video decoder comprising the steps of:

• a) decoding the received encoded video signal to provide i) a decoded video signal having a first spatial resolution when the digital video decoder is operated in a first mode, and ii) the decoded video signal having a second spatial resolution which is less than the first spatial resolution when the digital video decoder is operated in a second mode;
• b) providing, by a controller, a formatting control signal;
• c) filtering, according to the formatting control signal, the decoded video signal to change the spatial resolution of the decoded video signal when the digital video decoder is operated in the second mode, the filtered decoded video signal having a respective display spatial resolution, different from the first and second spatial resolutions;
• and
• d) producing at least one of a plurality of display video signals with a respective display format from the decoded video signal having the first spatial resolution when the digital video decoder is operated in the first mode, and
• e) producing at least one other of a plurality of display video signals with a respective display format from the filtered decoded video signal when the digital video decoder is operated in the second mode.