Method and apparatus for controlling subsequent permitted use, such as storage, of video on a digital storage device such as a personal video recorder (PVR). An analog video signal is provided with at least one modification to its video characteristics, for instance in the horizontal blanking interval and vertical blanking intervals, which is of the type having the capacity to inhibit making an acceptable analog video recording of the analog video signal. Examples of these modifications are the well known pseudo-sync (automatic gain control), color stripe (color burst modifications), and added back porch pulses. The pattern of presence or absence or nature of the modifications also serves as a code to carry information as to the subsequent permitted use in the digital realm, such as whether the accompanying content of the video signal is allowed to be digitally recorded in digital form in a compatible PVR personal video recorder, and if it is allowed to be recorded, the length of time that the recording is allowed to persist, for instance one day, one week, one month. Hence the modifications to the analog video signal have a dual use in both inhibiting recording in the analog realm and carrying information across the analog video interface so as to control storage (copying) or other use of the video in the digital realm.