Technique for effectively providing various entertainment services through a communications network

a system for allocating limited resources for realizing at least first and second services in an integrated fashion to deliver program material to an area, comprising:

• a mechanism for providing one or more program streams containing broadcast program material to the area in realizing the first service, each of the one or more program streams being received by one or more devices in the area;
• a control element for withholding provision of a selected one of the program streams to the area when the number of devices in the area receiving the selected program stream becomes zero, thereby making available transmission capacity;
• an interface for receiving a request for the second service from a certain device in the area;
• and
• a processing unit responsive to the request for allocating at least part of the available transmission capacity for providing a program stream containing program material for exclusive use by the certain device.

A method for providing at least first and second services in an integrated fashion to deliver program material via a hub to a plurality of devices in an area coupled to the hub, comprising:

• an interface for receiving a request for program material attributed to a selected program channel from a device in the area;
• and
• at least one processing unit responsive to the request for determining whether the selected program channel is associated with the first service or the second service, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to:
• if the selected program channel is associated with the first service, identify to the device a program stream of a first type containing the requested program material, the program stream of the first type being provided to the area for sharing with other devices in the area, thereby making available transmission capacity;
• if a program channel associated with the first service is not selected by any device in the area, provide no program stream of the first type containing the non-selected channel to the hub for delivery to the area;
• and
• if the selected program channel is associated with the second service, generating a program stream of a second type which contains the requested program material for exclusive use by the device, and integrating the program stream of the second type with at least one program stream of the first type in a transport stream transmitted to the area.

a method for allocating limited resources for realizing at least first and second services in an integrated fashion to deliver program material to an area, comprising:

• providing one or more program streams containing broadcast program material to the area in realizing the first service, each of the one or more program streams being received by one or more devices in the area;
• withholding provision of a selected one of the program streams to the area when the number of devices in the area receiving the selected program stream becomes zero, thereby making available transmission capacity;
• receiving a request for the second service from a certain device in the area and
• in response to the request, allocating at least part of the available transmission capacity for providing a program stream containing program material for exclusive use by the certain device.

a system or method for allocating transmission channel for realizing at least first and second services in an integrated fashion to deliver program material to an area, comprising:

• at least one interface to receive requests for program material attributed to a selected program channel from devices in an area;
• and
• at least one processing unit coupled to the interface, the at least one processing unit being configured to:
• receive the requests from the interface;
• determine if a requested program channel is associated with a first, broadcast service providing programming for sharing among a plurality of devices, or a second service providing programming for exclusive use by the a requesting device;
• allocate a transmission channel for a program stream provided to the area in realizing the first service, only when at least one device in the area has requested a respective program stream attributed to the particular program channel, thereby making available transmission capacity;
• allocate at least part of an available transmission channel to provide a program stream containing program material for exclusive use by the requesting device, in realizing the second service.

a system or method for allocating transmission channel for realizing at least first and second services in an integrated fashion to deliver program material to an area, comprising:

• at least one interface to receive requests for program material attributed to a selected program channel from devices in an area;
• and
• at least one processing unit coupled to the interface, the at least one processing unit being configured to:
• receive the requests from the interface;
• determine if a requested program channel is associated with a first, broadcast service providing programming for sharing among a plurality of devices, or a second service providing programming for exclusive use by the a requesting device;
• allocate a transmission channel for a program stream provided to the area in realizing the first service, only when at least one device in the area has requested a respective program stream attributed to the particular program channel, thereby making available transmission capacity;
• allocate at least part of an available transmission channel to provide a program stream containing program material for exclusive use by the requesting device, in realizing the second service.