The present invention teaches a system for providing digital data services
to a client comprising: providing client-generic multicast data including
a plurality of multicast groups to a data distribution system, wherein
each multicast group includes at least one digital data service;
re-formatting the client-generic multicast data in a fast transmission
format; transmitting the fastally formatted client-generic multicast data
to at least one distribution node; re-formatting the fastally formatted
client-generic transmission in a format suitable for client-specific
delivery to at least one client; receiving a client request for a
selected multicast group at the at least one distribution node from a
requesting client; at the at least one distribution node, routing the
selected multicast group to the requesting client enabling the requesting
client to access a selected digital data service from the multicast group
and discard data contained within the selected multicast group not
corresponding to the selected digital data service.
