Method and apparatus for providing passed pointer detection in audio/video streams on disk media

A remote multimedia server, comprising:

• a mass storage library for storing a plurality of multimedia programs each segmented into at least one audio/video stream;
• transmission means for transmitting the at least one audio/video stream to a communication channel;
• and
• a local media control system, comprising:
• a direct access storage device including at least one data storage disk;
• and
• a controller for processing the coordinating writing of the at least one audio/video stream received from the communication channel to the data storage disk, and for coordinating reading of the at least one audio/video stream from the data storage disk, the controller providing passed pointer detection in the at least one audio/video stream by monitoring the position of a first pointer and a second pointer in at least one audio/video stream during a command execution, determining when the positions of the first and second pointers cross to create a passed pointer state, setting an indicator to signal that a passed pointer state has occurred and using the passed pointer indicator to prevent anomalous behavior in processing of the at least one audio/video stream.

An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for providing passed pointer detection in audio/video streams on disk media, the method comprising:

• monitoring the position of a first pointer and a second pointer in at least one audio/video stream during a command execution;
• determining when the positions of the first and second pointers cross to create a passed pointer state;
• setting an indicator to signal that a passed pointer state has occurred;
• and
• using the passed pointer indicator to prevent anomalous behavior in processing of the at least one audio/video stream.