Disk drive having separate interfaces for host commands and audiovisual data

A disk drive connectable to a host system, the disk drive comprising:

• a disk having audiovisual first data;
• a buffer memory;
• an audiovisual interface adapted to be coupled to the host system and to receive audiovisual data from the host system;
• an output interface;
• a host command interface separately operable from the audiovisual interface and the output interface, the host command interface adapted to be coupled to the host system and to receive host commands from the host system;
• and
• a disk controller coupled to the output interface, the host command interface, the disk, and the buffer memory, the disk controller responsive to the host commands to:
• selectively allocate at least a portion of the buffer memory for retrieved audiovisual data;
• selectively transfer the audiovisual first data from the disk to the buffer memory as the retrieved audiovisual first data;
• and
• selectively transfer the retrieved audiovisual data from the buffer memory to the output interface.

A method of storing and retrieving audiovisual data utilizing a disk drive, the method comprising:

• receiving host commands from a host system at a host command interface;
• selectively allocating at least a portion of a buffer memory for audiovisual data;
• receiving first data from the host system at an audiovisual interface separately operable from the host command interface;
• providing digital-formatted audiovisual data in response to the first data;
• selectively transferring the audiovisual data to the buffer memory in response to the host commands;
• selectively transferring the audiovisual data from the buffer memory to a disk in response to host commands;
• selectively allocating at least a second portion of the buffer memory for retrieved audiovisual data;
• selectively transferring the audiovisual data from the disk to the buffer memory as the retrieved audiovisual data in response to the host commands;
• and
• selectively transferring the retrieved audiovisual data from the buffer memory to an output interface.