Patent ID: 8731376

Claim:
A recorder control apparatus which controls recording of a broadcast signal in a plurality of recorders connected to the recorder control apparatus, comprising: a tuner that receives a broadcast signal of a predetermined channel; a receiver that receives a request command to record the broadcast signal of the predetermined channel; a controller that communicates with the plurality of recorders, acquires reservation information relating to a reserved program to be recorded by each recorder after the request command is accepted, selects a recorder capable of recording the broadcast signal of the predetermined channel for a longest duration based on the reservation information, and sends a control command to the selected recorder to record the broadcast signal of the predetermined channel; and a display controller that causes a display unit to display recordable period information indicating recordable period for which the broadcast signal of the predetermined channel is recordable in a case where the selected recorder started recording in response to the control command sent by the controller, wherein the controller acquires reservation information relating to a first reserved program, which is an earliest reserved program to be recorded, for each recorder of the plurality of recorders after the request command is accepted, and selects, from the plurality of recorders connected to the recorder control apparatus, a recorder having the latest recording start time of the first reserved program so that the selected recorder records the broadcast signal of the predetermined channel for a longest duration before the selected recorder starts to record the first reserved program of the selected recorder.