Digital information recording/reproduction apparatus and digital information recording/reproduction method

Abstract

A hybrid recording and / or reproducing apparatus can deal with a readout failure of all or part of AV information on a hard disk by restoring the record by using a backup record which has been saved on a tape, and also can expand the recording capacity as the whole system based on the combination of the hard disk and tape. The apparatus consists of a server which records and reproduces AV information on the hard disk, a tape unit which records and reproduces AV information on the tape, and a control system which controls to save all or part of the AV information to be recorded on the hard disk onto the tape simultaneously to or on expiration of a certain time after the recording of the AV information on the hard disk.

Description

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention[0002] The present invention relates to a hybrid recording and / or reproducing apparatus and a recording and / or reproducing method which are applied suitably to video recording and / or reproducing apparatus and the like that are required to record and preserve a large quantity of video and audio information and read out the stored information at a high readout speed.[0003] More particularly, the invention relates to a hybrid recording and / or reproducing apparatus and a recording and / or reproducing method which are designed to save for the backup purpose records of a magnetic disk (hard disk), semiconductor memory, optical disk or magneto-optical disk (will be termed generically "disk recording medium" hereinafter) onto a tape recording medium so that in the event of readout failure of all or part of a record on the disk recording medium, the record in the state before the occurrence of readout failure can be restored on the disk recording medium based o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016] Accordingly, the inventive apparatus has enhanced reliability for keeping digital information including audio / video signals and computer-based graphic information as compared with conventional recording and / or reproducing apparatus having only disk recording mediums.

Problems solved by technology

On the other hand, however, the disk recording medium is susceptible to external impact and vibration, and moreover it is more expensive in terms of unit recording capacity as compared with the conventional tape recording medium.

Another problem of the disk recording medium left unsolved is how to deal with the emergence of accidental failure, e.g., data read error.

However, preserving all records on the disk recording medium, which is more expensive in terms of unit recording capacity than the tape recording medium, is not practical.

Although a conceivable manner for recording and preserving a large quantity of video and audio information is increasing the number of disk recording mediums run by one recording and / or reproducing apparatus, it will incur an increased medium cost and increased unexpected disk troubles.

The control information in the recording and / or reproducing apparatus can possibly fail by some cause, which may cause a disk failure e.g., data read error, resulting possibly in a retrieval failure of all or part of the recorded information.

Recording / reproduction apparatus using semiconductor memories (except for some kinds of semiconductor memories) have their memory records lost if the power supply is shut off.

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