Multimedia recorder with enhanced EPG-related functions

A method of managing recorded programs recorded in a recording medium in a broadcasting system comprising at least one transmitter and a plurality of terminals, wherein each transmitter broadcasts a data stream, each data stream comprising a plurality of multiplexed channels, each channel comprising a plurality of programs and each data stream including program information comprising program information (PI) records associated with respective programs available in the broadcasting system, the method comprising the steps of:

• each terminal
• permitting a user to select a desired one of said programs;
• adding said selected program to a recording queue that keeps program-identifying data sets in order of broadcast start time;
• recording on said recording medium a program identified by one of said program-identifying data sets in a first position of said recording queue;
• recording a program information record of said recorded program in a predetermined area on said recording medium;
• in response to reception of a playing-request from the user, displaying a program guide for said recorded programs recorded on said recording medium;
• prompting the user to select one of said recorded programs for play;
• and
• in response to the user selecting said one of said recorded programs, playing said selected recorded program to provide video and/or audio output(s),
• wherein said recording medium is a removable tape medium,
• wherein said step of recording a program includes the step of:
• recording said program and PI record associated with said program in time-division-multiplexing;
• and
• adjusting a recording frequency of said PI record according to a possible maximum recording rate minus a transmission rate required for said program.

A multimedia terminal capable of managing recorded programs recorded in a recording medium in a broadcasting system comprising at least one transmitter and a plurality of terminals, wherein each transmitter broadcasts a data stream, each data stream comprising a plurality of multiplexed channels, each channel comprising a plurality of programs and each data stream including program information comprising program information (PI) records associated with respective programs available in the broadcasting system, the multimedia terminal comprising:

• means for permitting a user to select a desired one of said programs;
• means for adding said selected program to a recording queue that keeps program-identifying data sets in order of broadcast start time;
• means for recording on said recording medium a program identified by one of said program-identifying data sets in a first position of said recording queue;
• means for recording a program information record of said recorded program in a predetermined area on said recording medium;
• means, responsive to reception of a playing request from the user, for displaying a program guide for said recorded programs recorded on said recording medium;
• means for prompting the user to select one of said recorded programs for play;
• and
• means, response to the user selecting said one of said recorded programs, for playing said selected recorded program to provide video and/or audio output(s),
• wherein said means for permitting a user to select a desired one of said programs includes means for permitting a user to select one of video channels and one of audio channels, said video and audio channels constituting said desired program,
• wherein said recording means includes:
• means for extracting video data of said selected video channel and audio data of said selected audio channel from a data stream including said video and audio channels;
• means for converting said video data and said audio data into a time-division-multiplexed packet stream in a same form as said data stream;
• and
• means for recording said time-division-multiplexed packet stream on said recording media, and wherein
• if a program varies in its channel configuration in a middle of duration thereof, said PI record of the program includes time periods for respective channel configurations of the program and a channel configuration for each of said time periods, each channel configuration indicating said video and audio channels that constitute the program for a time period associated with said each channel configuration;
• said displaying means includes means for displaying said time periods and corresponding channel configurations;
• and
• said means for permitting a user to select one of video channels and one of audio channels includes means for selecting, for each time period, a video and a audio channel from a channel configuration associated with the time period.

A multimedia terminal capable of managing recorded programs recorded in a recording medium in a broadcasting system comprising at least one transmitter and a plurality of terminals, wherein each transmitter broadcasts a data stream, each data stream comprising a plurality of multiplexed channels, each channel comprising a plurality of programs and each data stream including program information comprising program information (PI) records associated with respective programs available in the broadcasting system, the multimedia terminal comprising:

• means for permitting a user to select a desired one of said programs;
• means for adding said selected program to a recording queue that keeps program-identifying data sets in order of broadcast start time;
• means for recording on said recording medium a program identified by one of said program-identifying data sets in a first position of said recording queue;
• means for recording a program information record of said recorded program in a predetermined area on said recording medium;
• means, responsive to reception of a playing request from the user, for displaying a program guide for said recorded programs recorded on said recording medium;
• means for prompting the user to select one of said recorded programs for play;
• and
• means, response to the user selecting said one of said recorded programs, for playing said selected recorded program to provide video and/or audio output(s),
• wherein said recording medium is a removable tape medium,
• wherein said means for recording a program includes:
• means for recording said program and PI record associated with said program on said recording medium;
• and
• means for adjusting a recording frequency of said PI record according to a possible maximum recording rate minus a transmission rate required for said program.