Method and apparatus for transcoding and transrating in distributed video systems

A method comprising:

• grouping one or more end points into first and second stream groups, wherein the grouping is based on like characteristics, the one or more endpoints being associated with respective first and second media switches configuring a translator structure to convert from a first format to a second format, wherein the translator structure is associated with a video stream path between the first and second stream groups, wherein the translator structure comprises first and second transcoders that are configured to function as a first logical endpoint having a first input-output pair in communication with the first media switch, wherein the first transcoder functions as an input of the first input-output pair, wherein the second transcoder functions as an output of the first input-output pair, wherein the first and second transcoders are also-configured to function as a second logical endpoint having a second input-output pair in communication with the second media switch, wherein the first transcoder functions as an output of the second input-output pair, wherein the second transcoder functions as an input of the second input-output pair, wherein the first transcoder of the first input-output pair is configured to receive a first video stream in a first format, the first video stream being a current speaker stream, wherein the second transcoder of the first input-output pair is configured to provide a second video stream converted from a second format to the first format, the second video stream being a previous speaker stream, wherein the translator structure is shared between the previous speaker stream and the current speaker stream by a component associated with the previous speaker stream inserting a first I-frame request in an ingress stream to the translator structure when a video switch occurs from the previous speaker stream to the current speaker stream, and wherein the translator generates a second I-frame request as a response to the first I-frame request, and wherein the previous speaker stream is associated with an H.263 protocol and the current speaker stream is associated with an H.264 protocol, and wherein a unicast protocol is used to communicate the previous speaker stream, which undergoes a conversion between a codec H.264 format and a codec H.263 format, to an endpoint associated with a current speaker of a video conferences,
• wherein, when more than two participants are participating in a video conference, the previous speaker stream is to be displayed to a participant in the video conference while the participant is the current speaker and the current speaker stream is displayed to all other participants in the video conference when not the current speaker.