Patent ID: 6122123
Filing Date: 2000-09-19
Classification: G11B,H04N

Abstract:
An apparatus for recording a digital information signal on a record carrier, the digital information signal including a serial datastream of information packets, the information packets including a packet identifier and portions of information of a program of one or more programs in the data stream, packets having the same packet identifier belonging to the same program, the apparatus comprising:(a) retrieval means for receiving the digital information signal;(b) signal processing means for processing the digital information signal into a recording signal suitable for recording on the record carrier; and(c) writing means for writing the recording signal on the record carrier,in which the retrieval means comprises:(d) means for detecting the presence of a clock reference signal in all of the packets in the serial datastream of information packets;(e) storage means for retrieving the packet identifier from the first packet in which a clock reference signal has been detected, and for storing the packet identifier retrieved from that packet;(f) means for subsequently retrieving clock reference signals from those packets in the datastream having a packet identifier which equals the packet identifier stored in the storage means;(g) means for monitoring the time interval since the last occurrence of a clock reference signal in those packets having a packet identifier which equals the packet identifier stored in the storage means; and(h) means for initiating the storage means after the time interval exceeds a predetermined time interval to replace the packet identifier stored in the storage means.