A method for generating an output data stream from an input data stream, a processing unit receives a first input data stream including a first data set, and this processing unit receives, from a further processing unit, a second set of metadata, which describes a second data set of a second input data stream of this further processing unit, the processing unit outputs or does not output, as a function of the second set of metadata, an output data set of the output data stream generated from the first data set.