Broadcast solution for cable IPTV

An apparatus comprising:

• a video output interface for output of video content to a display or recording device;
• an interface for connection to a cable modem device;
• a user interface to enable user selection of a desired video programming stream;
• and
• a processing device configured to:
• map the user selected video programming stream to a corresponding multicast group address;
• send a request upstream via the cable modem device interface to request the user selected video programming stream, the request including identification of the corresponding multicast group address;
• and
• receive the requested video stream as a multicast data stream having the multicast group address via a cable modem and processing the requested video stream based on the multicast group address to deliver decoded content to the video output interface;
• wherein the processing device is configured to store television station-to-multicast group address mappings.

A Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) comprising:

• a network interface to receive multicast IP video input streams;
• and
• a processing device configured to:
• store a corresponding multicast group address for each IP video input stream;
• select at least one of the IP video input streams and assign each selected IP input stream to a corresponding RF channel for downstream delivery;
• span the corresponding RF channels downstream to a selected set of Fibernodes coupled to the CMTS for multicast downstream delivery to subscribers;
• receive a message requesting a selected one of the IP video input streams;
• and
• responsive to the request message, issue instructions to cause a cable modem (CM) associated with the request message to tune its receiver to the corresponding RF channel assigned to carry the selected IP video input stream, enabling the cable modem to use the corresponding multicast group address to receive the selected IP video input stream that is forwarded over the assigned RF channel as a multicast data stream.

A method for a cable subscriber to receive IPTV programming, comprising:

• at the subscriber premises, selecting a desired video programming stream;
• at the subscriber premises, mapping the video stream selection to a corresponding multicast group address;
• at the subscriber premises, transmitting a request message that includes the corresponding multicast group address;
• at the subscriber premises, receiving a multicast address responsive to transmitting the request;
• at the subscriber premises, tuning a receiver to an RF channel using the received multicast address to receive the selected video stream as a multicast data stream;
• and
• at the subscriber premises, decoding the received video stream for display of the selected video stream.