TS packet grooming

An apparatus for grooming a plurality of received transport stream packets, the apparatus comprising:

• an interface block configured to receive a plurality of transport stream (TS) packets according to a selected service;
• a packet processor having a parser configured to parse a packet header of each one of the plurality of received transport stream packets, a Boolean logical unit configured to logically compare a set of patterns in the received transport stream packet with a plurality of predetermined values, and a shadow counter configured to track a CC value;
• and
• a memory module configured to store program codes for the packet processor,
• wherein the packet processor is configured to:
• parse an adaptation field control bit, adjust an adaptation field length if the PID value matches and the adaptation field control bit is equal unity;
• parse a payload unit start indicator (PUSI) value, compare the PUSI value against an expected PUSI value, reset the PUSI value to zero if the PID value matches and the PUSI value does not match the expected PUSI value, and retain the PUSI value if the PID value matches and the PUSI value matches the expected PUSI value;
• parse a pointer field value, compare the pointer field value against a predetermined pointer value, set the pointer field value to the minimum of a residual section length value and a subtraction result of the adaptation field length from the decimal 183;
• adjust a table ID field if the PUSI value is equal unity and the pointer field value is not a valid table ID;
• parse a section length value;
• validate the section length value by comparing it with a predetermined length value;
• adjust the section length value to the predetermined length value if the section length value does not match the predetermined length value;
• and
• retain the section length value if the section length value matches the predetermined length value.