Method for recording two concurrent a/v input signals

1. A method for recording a first digital a/v input signal and a second digital a/v input signal, which is received at the same time as the first digital a/v input signal, on a first recording unit for recording compressed digital a/v data, comprising the steps of:

receiving the second digital a/v input signal at a second input at the same time as receiving the first digital a/v input signal at a first input;

compressing or transcoding the first digital a/v input signal when the first digital a/v input signal is received in a compressed format not used by the first recording unit, and generating a compressed first digital a/v input signal;

recording the second digital a/v input signal on a second recording unit at the same time as recording the compressed first digital a/v input signal on the first recording unit;

responsive to completing the recording of the first compressed digital a/v input signal on the first recording unit, automatically reading the second digital a/v input signal recorded on the second recording unit;

after reading the second digital a/v input signal from the second recording unit, automatically compressing or transcoding the second digital a/v input signal when the second digital a/v input signal is received in a compressed format not used by the first recording unit and generating a compressed second digital a/v input signal; and

automatically recording the second compressed digital a/v input signal on the first recording unit and/or the second recording unit.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

generating the first digital a/v input signal by converting a first analog a/v input signal when a first analog a/v input signal is received ; and

generating the second digital a/v input signal by converting a second a/v analog a/v input signal when a second analog a/v input signal is received.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein two or more digital a/v input signals are simultaneously or quasi-simultaneously recorded on the second recording unit.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein additional data is added to the first digital a/v input signal and/or the second digital a/v input signal during the compressing step.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first recording unit is a drive for optical recording media and the second recording unit is a drive for optical recording media or a hard disk drive.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or the second digital a/v input signal is a transport stream.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second digital a/v input signal is the same as the first digital a/v input signal.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a first input capable of receiving a first a/v input signal;

a second input capable of receiving a second a/v input signal at the same time as receiving the first a/v input signal;

a first recording device to record an a/v input signal, the first recording device having a first format;

a second recording device to record an a/v input signal;

a digital a/v compressor to compress an a/v input signal into a compressed input signal in the first format; and

a microcontroller, coupled to the input devices, first and second recording devices, and the digital a/v compressor, to execute instructions to

access a first and second digital a/v input signal,

compress or transcode the first digital a/v input signal into the first format when the first digital a/v input signal is not in the first format and generate a compressed first digital a/v input signal,

record the second digital a/v input signal onto the second recording device at the same time as recording the compressed first digital a/v input signal onto the first recording device,

automatically read the second digital a/v input signal from the second recording device responsive to completion of the recording of the compressed first digital a/v input signal,

automatically compress or transcode the second digital a/v input signal when the second digital a/v input signal is not in the first format and generate a compressed second digital a/v input signal upon completion of automatically reading the second digital a/v input signal from the second recording device, and

automatically record the compressed second digital a/v input signal onto the first recording device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising

a decoder to convert an analog a/v input signal into a digital a/v input signal;

wherein the microcontroller further executes instructions to

instruct the decoder to convert a first analog a/v input signal into a first digital a/v input signal when a first analog a/v input signal is received, and

instruct the decoder to convert a second analog a/v input signal into a second digital a/v input signal when a second analog a/v input signal is received.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the microcontroller executes instructions to record the compressed first digital a/v input signal onto the first recording device and to record the second digital a/v input signal onto the second device simultaneously or quasi-simultaneously.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the microcontroller instructs the digital a/v compressor to add additional data to a compressed digital a/v input signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first recording device is a drive for optical recording media and the second recording device is a drive for optical recording media or a hard disk drive.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first and/or the second digital a/v input signal is a transport stream.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first and second digital a/v input signals are the same.