Apparatus for storing data broadcast in digital form for generating a character display or for recording such data for later playback

In combination with television broadcast receiving apparatus for receiving broadcast television signals each comprising first and second signal portions, said first signal portions including video signal information for controlling generation of a picture to be displayed by display means of said receiver by a series of line scans over each of a succession of fields of said television signal, and said second signal portions including digital data signals;

• a. means for selectively extracting said digital data signals from said second signal portions, said extracted digital data signals being in serial binary coded form in which a group of binary digits represents a character;
• b. means for applying said extracted signals at a high data rate to a main high speed storage means for storage of said groups of digits in parallel with data signals extracted from a single field of a said television signal stored sequentially, said main storage means adapted to recirculate data signals stored therein with a cycle time equal to the line scan period of said television signal;
• c. means for selectively reading respective groups of data signals from said main storage means to produce video signals representing parts of characters represented by said groups of digits, for generation of a legible display of said selected data by said display means;
• d. first buffer storage means selectively connectible to said main storage means for receiving groups of digit signals, a group at a time, in parallel and for outputting said digit signals in serial form;
• e. means for reading said serial digital signals from said first buffer storage means at a low data rate for recording by low frequency signal recorder means;
• f. means for deriving digital data signals from low frequency signal recorder means and for inputting said data signals in serial form to second buffer storage means;
• and
• g. means for outputting from said second buffer storage means, groups of stored digits in parallel, a group at a time, at a high data rate and for inputting said digit groups to said main storage means.