Recording/reproducing apparatus

Abstract

The dead storage of recorded programs stored in a storage device of a recording/reproducing apparatus is minimized to achieve an effective use of the recorded programs. At power-on, the recording/reproducing apparatus endlessly reproduces the recorded programs from an HDD till power-off, as giving priority to the control of video recording and reproducing operations. A reproducing start position controller overwritably stores a reproducing end position of the endless reproducing at power-off, and sets a reproducing start position of the endless reproducing to the previous reproducing end position so stored therein. When a free channel is selected as a receiver channel, a monitor output controller provides monitor outputs of the recorded program subjected to the endless reproducing instead of outputting signals received on the free channel, whereby the recorded program is displayed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart explaining one part of the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart explaining the other part of the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an apparatus according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the steps of a program reproducing schedule generating process performed by the apparatus of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a chart illustrating one example of recorded programs stored in HDD 15 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a chart illustrating an exemplary program reproducing schedule of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a chart illustrating another exemplary program reproducing schedule of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a chart illustrating still another exemplary program reproducing schedule of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart explaining one part of the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 4 for reproducing and displaying the recorded programs; and

FIG. 11 is a flow chart explaining the other part of the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 4 for reproducing and displaying the recorded programs.

Claims

1. A recording/reproducing apparatus having functions to receive television broadcasts and to record or reproduce the received television programs and the like, and operating to record and store the television programs and the like in a storage device and to provide monitor outputs of the received television programs on a selected channel as giving priority to at least reproducing monitor outputs from said storage device, said apparatus comprising: a recorded-program reproducing controller activated at power-on and endlessly reproducing the recorded programs from said storage device till power-off, as giving priority to the control of video-recording and reproducing operations;a reproducing start position controller overwritably storing a reproducing end position of said endless reproducing at the power-off and setting a reproducing start position of said endless reproducing to said previous reproducing end position so stored; anda monitor output controller which, in response to the selection of a free channel as a receiver channel, provides monitor outputs of the recorded programs subjected to said endless reproducing instead of outputting reception signals on the free channel.

2. The recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said free channels are more than one and the recorded programs in said storage device are allocated to said individual free channels so as to be endlessly reproduced on a per-free-channel basis.

3. A recording/reproducing apparatus having functions to receive television broadcasts and to record or reproduce received television programs and the like, and operating to record and store the received television programs and the like in a storage device and to provide monitor outputs of the received television programs on a receiver channel as giving priority to at least reproducing monitor outputs from said storage device, said apparatus comprising: a program reproducing schedule generator which, referring to recorded-program reproducing conditions, generates a program reproducing schedule used for reproducing the recorded programs from said storage device at broadcast times of designated television programs, and which overwritably stores said program reproducing schedule;a recorded-program reproducing controller which reproduces a recorded program of interest from said storage device according to said program reproducing schedule when a broadcast time of said designated program corresponding to the recorded program of interest comes in a state where a broadcasting channel of said designated program is selected as the receiver channel; anda monitor output controller which provides monitor outputs of the recorded program reproduced from said storage device instead of outputting signals received on the broadcasting channel at the broadcast time of said designated program.

4. The recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said designated broadcasting channels are more than one and the recorded programs in said storage device are allocated to said individual broadcasting channels based on said recorded-program reproducing conditions.