Methods and systems for prefilling a buffer in streaming data applications

An audio decoder comprising:

• an input port for receiving a stream of audio data;
• a data buffer for storing audio samples retrieved from said stream;
• an output first-in-first-out memory for sourcing decoded audio data to an external device at a selected sampling rate and loaded from the data buffer when said first-in-first-out memory reaches a partially empty level;
• and
• a digital signal processor operable to pre-fill said output memory by:
• determining a sample advantage representing a difference in number of samples between a presentation time for a reference sample and time of availability of the reference sample;
• loading a number of phantom samples into the output memory equivalent to the sample advantage;
• streaming the phantom samples from the output memory at the sampling rate;
• and
• during the streaming of the phantom samples, decompressing and loading into the output memory a plurality of data samples.

A method of processing a stream of encoded units of data samples comprising the steps of:

• calculating a sample advantage using timing information embedded In selected ones of the encoded units, the sample advantage representing a difference in number of samples between the presentation of a reference sample and the availability of the reference sample for output;
• queuing a number of phantom samples substantially equal to the number of samples represented by the calculated sample advantage;
• outputting the phantom samples from the queue at a selected rate;
• and
• decoding at least some data samples of at least one encoded unit and queuing the decoded data samples behind the phantom samples substantially simultaneously with said step of outputting.