Transmission synchronization and bandwidth adjustment in a broadcast system
are described. At least one service tool in the broadcast system supplies
service information useful for selecting, from a series of broadcast
events, broadcast events to be viewed by subscribers of the broadcast
system. A conditional access (CA) unit in the broadcast system applies
conditional access attributes to the series of broadcast events.
Transmission synchronizing apparatus in the broadcast system synchronizes
the CA unit and the at least one service tool by instructing the CA unit
to blackout a particular event from the series of broadcast events to
subscribers that are refused access to the particular event and
instructing the at least one service tool to provide a replacement service
to the subscribers that are refused access to the particular event.
Alternatively or additionally, the transmission synchronizing apparatus
adjusts transmission bandwidth allocated to the series of broadcast events
in response to instructing the CA unit to blackout the particular event to
subscribers that are refused access to the particular event and
instructing the at least one service tool to provide the replacement
service to the subscribers that are refused access to the particular
event. Related apparatus and method are also described.
