Patent ID: 6526225
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: G06F,G11B,H04N

Abstract:
Apparatus for recording and playing a television data stream having video data and audio data comprising:an array of non-continuous access, asynchronous disk drives for storing the video and audio data from the television data stream; a cache having a circular structure and a capacity less than the array of asynchronous disk drives, but sufficient to minimize disk drive data requests during motion state changes, for either receiving the television data stream from an external device and storing said received television data stream temporarily until said television data stream can be transferred in discrete portions as video and audio data to said array of asynchronous disk drives while still storing the received television data stream, or retrieving discrete portions of video and audio data from said array of asynchronous disk drives and storing said retrieved video and audio data until said retrieved video and audio data is transferred as the television data stream to an external device while still storing the retrieved video and audio data; and computer means for directing operation of said cache to provide interchange of video and audio data as the television data stream between said array of asynchronous disk drives and an external device.