Digital video recorder connectable to a set-top box through digital interface

摘要

The present invention may be regarded as a digital video recorder connectable to a set-top box. The digital video recorder receives a real-time video signal from the set-top box and provides a recorded video signal to the set-top box during a playback interval. The digital video recorder includes a disk and a video data stream manager that in response to the real-time video signal provides a first video stream to store a selected video segment on the disk. The video data stream manager, in response to commands from a microprocessor in the set-top box, receives a second video stream based on the selected video segment stored on the disk to generate the recorded video signal. The set-top box includes a multiplexer that selects the real-time video signal during a real-time interval and selects the recorded video signal during the playback interval to generate an output video data stream to a display device.