CATV transmission center device, CATV distribution system, and program distribution method

摘要

A CATV transmission center apparatus, a subscriber terminal device, a CATV distribution system, and a method of distributing a program, will solve the problems of the need to change transmission facilities for handling more channels, the costly CATV infrastructure per program, the expensive subscriber terminal devices, and the tedious and time-consuming process of selecting desired programs. When there is a request to view a program which is not being distributed from the subscriber terminal device to the CATV transmission center apparatus, an empty channel is searched for. If an empty channel is found, the requested program is distributed via the empty channel. All subscriber terminal devices are notified that the program which has started to be distributed is being distributed. The CATV transmission center apparatus distributes only those programs which are actually viewed by subscribers.