Methods and apparatus for making and replaying digital video recordings, and recordings made by such methods

Abstract

Broadcast data received in MPEG Transport Stream format (TS) is processed () to produce a modified transport stream for recording on an optical disc () to record the content of a selected audio-visual program. Various techniques are disclosed for permitting random access within the recording, but without re-packetizing or remultiplexing the audio and video elementary streams, for example into program stream format. The received TS (DVIN) occasionally includes stream mapping information (PAT/PMT) identifying a transport packet ID code associated with each elementary stream, said stream mapping information being subject to change throughout the received TS. The packet IDs in the modified transport stream can be re-mapped to a uniform set of values to permit random entry to the recorded stream. Alternatively, the current stream mapping information may be inserted at every potential entry point in the modified stream. Characteristic point information (CPI) defining a set of potential entry points throughout the stream is generated by parsing the received stream, and recorded in a separate file to facilitate location of entry points on the disk. Entry points may for example comprise all I-pictures, or a subset of them. Clock reference values (PCR) not carried in one of the wanted streams are inserted in the modified transport stream using a separate packet ID. The recorded stream can be passed to a standard decoder with little or no further modification.