A 
full service cable television system and method are provided. The 
system comprises a cable headend, at least one 
fiber transport, at least one distribution hub, at least one 
hybrid fiber coax 
plant, and a plurality of set-top terminals. The 
system delivers television programs, advanced cable services, and online services. Programs and services are transmitted to the set-top terminals in both digital and analog formats to maintain downward compatibility with existing systems. The set-top terminal includes a 
central processing unit, a unified 
memory architecture, a 
memory management unit, communications circuitry, I / O control circuitry, and audio and 
video output circuitry. Through these components, the set-top terminal provides advanced cable services such as a comprehensive channel navigator, an interactive program guide, impulse Pay-Per-View, Near-Video-On-Demand and Video-On-Demand 
programming, and advanced configuration controls. The set-top terminal also provides online services such as 
World Wide Web browsing, Internet e-mail, and home shopping.