Cable systems in metropolitan areas require addressable technology which satisfies the requirements for secure distribution of pay-TV signals simultaneously to both high-density areas and to individual residences. To date these differing needs have been filled separately by off-premises equipment (for high-density areas) and addressable home terminals (for individual residences).
This paper describes the system considerations for a hybrid addressable system optimized for both environments. Several alternative hybrid system arrangements are described, and based on discussion of their relative merits, a specific hybrid system is proposed. The proposed system merges the best operational and security features of both home-terminal and off-premises systems.