Patent ID: 7650442

Claim:
A controller ( 20 ) for a personal video recorder (PVR) ( 10 ), the PVR comprising a receiving stage ( 12 ) which is operable to receive media content, an internal storage device ( 24 ) for storing content and an interface ( 26 ) for connecting to an external storage device ( 30 ), the controller being operable to: receive an instruction to record content directly to the external storage device ( 30 ); determine if the external storage device ( 30 ) can store the media content at a required transfer rate; and cause the PVR to record the received media content firstly to the internal storage device ( 24 ) and to transfer recorded media content from the internal storage device ( 24 ) to the external storage device ( 30 ) while continuing to record received content to the internal storage device ( 24 ) if the external storage device ( 30 ) is unable to store the media content at the required transfer rate.