An apparatus for tracking playback or recording of sets of digital information, including at least one of text information, image information, video information or audio information, on a digital recording device (12; 304), comprising: a processor (18; 106); and a first memory (102, 104) in communication with the processor (18; 106), wherein the processor (18; 106) is to execute instructions stored on the first memory (102, 104) to: detect a write operation of one of the sets of digital information that is transmitted on a data bus (26; 312) to a mass storage device (24; 310) associated with the digital recording device (12; 304); store, at a memory location separate from the mass storage device (24; 310), time information corresponding to the write operation in association with a first address of the write operation and source information associated with the set of digital information from a source detector in communication with the apparatus; based on subsequent monitoring of the data bus (26; 312), detect a read operation to retrieve the set of digital information from the mass storage device (24; 310); compare a second address corresponding to the read operation to the first address stored at the memory location; and store a playback time of the set of digital information corresponding to the read operation in association with the time information corresponding to the write operation if the second address matches the first address. a processor (18; 106); and a first memory (102, 104) in communication with the processor (18; 106), wherein the processor (18; 106) is to execute instructions stored on the first memory (102, 104) to: detect a write operation of one of the sets of digital information that is transmitted on a data bus (26; 312) to a mass storage device (24; 310) associated with the digital recording device (12; 304); store, at a memory location separate from the mass storage device (24; 310), time information corresponding to the write operation in association with a first address of the write operation and source information associated with the set of digital information from a source detector in communication with the apparatus; based on subsequent monitoring of the data bus (26; 312), detect a read operation to retrieve the set of digital information from the mass storage device (24; 310); compare a second address corresponding to the read operation to the first address stored at the memory location; and store a playback time of the set of digital information corresponding to the read operation in association with the time information corresponding to the write operation if the second address matches the first address. detect a write operation of one of the sets of digital information that is transmitted on a data bus (26; 312) to a mass storage device (24; 310) associated with the digital recording device (12; 304); store, at a memory location separate from the mass storage device (24; 310), time information corresponding to the write operation in association with a first address of the write operation and source information associated with the set of digital information from a source detector in communication with the apparatus; based on subsequent monitoring of the data bus (26; 312), detect a read operation to retrieve the set of digital information from the mass storage device (24; 310); compare a second address corresponding to the read operation to the first address stored at the memory location; and store a playback time of the set of digital information corresponding to the read operation in association with the time information corresponding to the write operation if the second address matches the first address.