In-home digital video unit with combine archival storage and high-access storage

An apparatus for simultaneously recording first digital program data onto a high-capacity archival medium partitioned into segments and playing back second digital program data from the same high-capacity archival medium, comprising:

• an input buffer;
• an output buffer;
• a high-access storage device partitioned into segments;
• means for receiving the first program data and storing the received first program data into the input buffer;
• means for selecting a first current segment of the high-access storage device for writing the first program data;
• means for transferring the first program data from the input buffer to the first current segment of the high-access storage device;
• means for selecting a second current segment of the high-access storage device for reading the first program data;
• means for selecting a first current segment of the high-capacity archival medium for writing the first program data;
• means for transferring the first program data from the second current segment of the high-access storage device to the first current segment of the high-capacity archival medium;
• means for selecting a second current segment of the high-capacity archival medium for reading the second program data;
• means for selecting a third current segment of the high-access storage device for writing the second program data;
• means for transferring the second program data from the second current segment of the high-capacity archival medium to the third current segment of the high-access storage device;
• means for selecting a fourth current segment of the high-access storage device for reading the second program data;
• means for transferring the second program data from the fourth current segment of the high-access storage device to the output buffer;
• means for maintaining the level of fullness of the input and output buffers to prevent said input and output buffers from underflowing or overflowing;
• means for interleaving the transfer of the first program data from the input buffer to the first current segment of the high-access storage device, the transfer of the first program data from the second current segment of the high-access storage device to the first current segment of the high-capacity archival medium, the transfer of the second program data from the second current segment of the high-capacity archival medium to the third current segment of the high-access storage device, and the transfer of the second program data from the fourth current segment of the high-access storage device to the output buffer;
• and
• means for reading the second program data from the output buffer,
• wherein the transfer of the first program data from the input buffer to the first current segment of the high-access storage device, the transfer of the first program data from the second current segment of the high-access storage device to the first current segment of the high-capacity archival medium, the transfer of the second program data from the second current segment of the high-capacity archival medium to the third current segment of the high-access storage device, and the transfer of the second program data from the fourth current segment of the high-access storage device to the output buffer appear simultaneous.