A digital STB having multiple decoders is capable of decoding multiple digital
video streams simultaneously to minimize the time a subscriber waits before a new
channel is tuned and displayed. The STB incorporates a channel look-ahead capability
in which one or more digital tuners tune to and decode a next video channel based
upon information taken from a subscriber's usage history and information obtained
from average subscriber behavior. STB software performs a channel prediction to
setup spare tuning and decoding resources to tune to and decode a potential channel
the subscriber might select next. The STB can therefore anticipate the subscriber's
request and provide a faster response time for channel tuning.
