Patent ID: 6985669

Claim:
A personal video recorder comprising: an input for receiving an audiovisual signal and an output for outputting said audiovisual signal; a buffer for buffering said audiovisual signal, said buffer retaining a portion of said audiovisual signal after that portion has been output by said recorder; a data storage unit; and a processor that receives input from a user input device; wherein, upon receipt of a user command input through said user input device, said processor automatically records a segment of said audiovisual signal in said data storage unit, said segment of said audiovisual signal comprising: a first predetermined amount of said portion of said audiovisual signal retained in said buffer; and a second predetermined amount of said portion of said audiovisual signal output by said recorder after receipt of said user command; wherein said user input device receives parameters from a user that specify said first and second predetermined amounts, said processor then receives said parameters and automatically records said segment based on said parameters.