A digital television receiving system having a security mechanism which
simultaneously handles two or more separate television program signals is
described. The system includes a plurality of digital television receiver
mechanisms for receiving a plurality of separate digital television
program signal transport streams. The system also includes a multiplexer
mechanism coupled to the digital television receiver mechanisms for
tagging and multiplexing the received program signal transport streams
into a single combined signal transport stream. The combined transport
stream is supplied to a security mechanism which limits usable access to
the combined stream to authorized users. The system further includes a
demultiplexer mechanism for receiving an access-allowed combined
transport stream from the security mechanism and demultiplexing the
combined transport stream into separate transport streams corresponding
to the separate transport streams received by the receiver mechanisms.
The system also includes circuitry responsive to at least one of the
demultiplexed transport streams for supplying image signals to a
television display mechanism for producing television images.