Patent ID: 8331771

Claim:
A method for recording a first digital a/v input signal and a second digital a/v input signal, which is received at the same time as the first digital a/v input signal, on a first recording unit for recording compressed digital a/v data, comprising the steps of: receiving the second digital a/v input signal at a second input at the same time as receiving the first digital a/v input signal at a first input; compressing or transcoding the first digital a/v input signal when the first digital a/v input signal is received in a compressed format not used by the first recording unit, and generating a compressed first digital a/v input signal; recording the second digital a/v input signal on a second recording unit at the same time as recording the compressed first digital a/v input signal on the first recording unit; responsive to completing the recording of the first compressed digital a/v input signal on the first recording unit, automatically reading the second digital a/v input signal recorded on the second recording unit; after reading the second digital a/v input signal from the second recording unit, automatically compressing or transcoding the second digital a/v input signal when the second digital a/v input signal is received in a compressed format not used by the first recording unit and generating a compressed second digital a/v input signal; and automatically recording the second compressed digital a/v input signal on the first recording unit and/or the second recording unit.