Claims
- 1. A process for a digital video recorder (DVR) incorporating an integrated digital video device (DVD) player/recorder, comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of input signal tuners in said DVR; wherein said tuners accept analog and digital television broadcast signals; wherein each of said tuners is individually tuned to a specific broadcast signal; providing a hard disk in said DVR; storing specific broadcast signals as digital program material on said hard disk; providing a DVD player/recorder in said DVR; determining indexes at predetermined intervals for a broadcast signal as the broadcast signal is being stored as digital program material; and storing said indexes along with the digital program material on said hard disk.
- 2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
receiving a user selection of one or more program material stored on said hard disk to be transferred to said DVD player/recorder; and writing said one or more selected program material onto a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder.
- 3. The process of claim 2, further comprising the step of:
retrieving indexes associated with said one or more selected program material; and wherein said retrieved indexes are used by said writing step to establish navigation packets on said inserted DVD.
- 4. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
receiving a user selection of one or more program material stored on a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder to be transferred to said hard disk; and transferring said one or more selected program material from the inserted DVD onto said hard disk.
- 5. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
providing at least one output device; wherein said at least one output device extracts a specific program material from said hard disk or from a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder; decoding said extracted specific program material into a television output signal; and sending said television output signal to a television monitor.
- 6. The process of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:
receiving user selection of a program material stored on a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder to be played; and playing said selected program material from the inserted DVD.
- 7. The process of claim 6, wherein said playing step directs an output device to extract said selected program material from the inserted DVD.
- 8. The process of claim 6, wherein said playing step directs an output device to extract said selected program material from the inserted DVD and cache a predetermined amount of said selected program material on said hard disk, and wherein said output device directs said decoding step to decode said cached program material from said hard drive.
- 9. The process of claim 5, wherein the user selects a specific program material to be extracted and decoded from said hard disk or from a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder.
- 10. The process of claim 5, wherein the user controls the decoding rate and direction of said decoding step to perform variable rate fast forward and rewind, frame step, pause, and play functions on said television output signal.
- 11. The process of claim 1, wherein the user selects an individual tuner and the specific broadcast signal for said individual tuner.
- 12. The process of claim 1, wherein the specific broadcast signal for an individual tuner is selected automatically based on the current date and time.
- 13. The process of claim 1, wherein the specific broadcast signal for an individual tuner is selected automatically based on a particular word or phrase in said broadcast signal.
- 14. The process of claim 2, wherein said writing step places a serial number or encoded key specific to the DVR on said inserted DVD.
- 15. The process of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:
providing a registration server; wherein a user registers DVRs that he owns on said registration server; wherein said registration server creates a list of DVRs owned by a specific user; and distributing said list to DVRs on said list.
- 16. The process of claim 15, further comprising the step of:
validating a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder; wherein said validating step extracts a serial number or encoded key from the inserted DVD; wherein said validating step compares said extracted serial number or encoded key with said list; and wherein said validating step allows the inserted DVD to be read if said extracted serial number or encoded key is on said list.
- 17. An apparatus for a digital video recorder (DVR) incorporating an integrated digital video device (DVD) player/recorder, comprising:
a plurality of input signal tuners in said DVR; wherein said tuners accept analog and digital television broadcast signals; wherein each of said tuners is individually tuned to a specific broadcast signal; a hard disk in said DVR; a module for storing specific broadcast signals as digital program material on said hard disk; a DVD player/recorder in said DVR; a module for determining indexes at predetermined intervals for a broadcast signal as the broadcast signal is being stored as digital program material; and a module for storing said indexes along with the digital program material on said hard disk.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:
a module for receiving a user selection of one or more program material stored on said hard disk to be transferred to said DVD player/recorder; and writing said one or more selected program material onto a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:
a module for retrieving indexes associated with said one or more selected program material; and wherein said retrieved indexes are used by said writing module to establish navigation packets on said inserted DVD.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:
a module for receiving a user selection of one or more program material stored on a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder to be transferred to said hard disk; and a module for transferring said one or more selected program material from the inserted DVD onto said hard disk.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:
at least one output device; wherein said at least one output device extracts a specific program material from said hard disk or from a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder; a module for decoding said extracted specific program material into a television output signal; and a module for sending said television output signal to a television monitor.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:
a module for receiving user selection of a program material stored on a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder to be played; and a module for playing said selected program material from the inserted DVD.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said playing module directs an output device to extract said selected program material from the inserted DVD.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said playing module directs an output device to extract said selected program material from the inserted DVD and cache a predetermined amount of said selected program material on said hard disk, and wherein said output device directs said decoding module to decode said cached program material from said hard drive.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the user selects a specific program material to be extracted and decoded from said hard disk or from a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder.
- 26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the user controls the decoding rate and direction of said decoding module to perform variable rate fast forward and rewind, frame step, pause, and play functions on said television output signal.
- 27. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the user selects an individual tuner and the specific broadcast signal for said individual tuner.
- 28. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the specific broadcast signal for an individual tuner is selected automatically based on the current date and time.
- 29. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the specific broadcast signal for an individual tuner is selected automatically based on a particular word or phrase in said broadcast signal.
- 30. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said writing module places a serial number or encoded key specific to the DVR on said inserted DVD.
- 31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising:
a registration server; wherein a user registers DVRs that he owns on said registration server; wherein said registration server creates a list of DVRs owned by a specific user; and a module for distributing said list to DVRs on said list.
- 32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising:
a module for validating a DVD inserted into said DVD player/recorder; wherein said validating module extracts a serial number or encoded key from the inserted DVD; wherein said validating module compares said extracted serial number or encoded key with said list; and wherein said validating module allows the inserted DVD to be read if said extracted serial number or encoded key is on said list.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/827,029, filed on Apr. 5, 2001; and claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/374,101, filed on Apr. 19, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60374101 |
Apr 2002 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09827029 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Child |
10418646 |
Apr 2003 |
US |