The invention relates to a video and/or audio signal receiving and recording arrangement comprising a receiver and a recording apparatus.
Such arrangements are known for example as video recorders with integrated playback device (monitor) or a separate television set. In another technical field, they are known as radio cassette recorders with an integrated radio receiver part.
Known from German Offenlegungsechrift 31 26 430 is a recording instrument, for example a dictating instrument, with an automatic starting device which switches on the dictating instrument and in particular the drive for the recording carrier when the amplitude of the signal to be recorded is above a response threshold. This construction avoids unnecessary tape use since the instrument works only when an effective signal is present.
With such a recording instrument, in order to avoid the commencement being recorded in a distorted fashion after the recording has started, since the recording instrument has as yet failed to reach the necessary running speed of the recording carrier, a delay part is provided which delays the recording of the signal on the recording carrier by a period of time which corresponds to the time which the recording carrier needs to reach its desired speed.
It is possible furthermore to ascertain from the magazine Funkschau 1960, No. 22, pp. 559 to 561, in the case of a magnetic tape recorder with an automatic starting facility which only begins to run when there is a signal to be recorded, to delay the recording signal by a few seconds, for example by using an endless auxiliary tape, in order to lose as little signal as possible at the start.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,606 in the case of live radio transmissions to delay the original signal by a certain period of time prior to transmission so that there is a possibility of monitoring the transmission and possibly of suppressing undesired passages without the receiver being aware of the fact.
Finally, radios or television sets are known in which, during transmission, the listener/viewer is able to replay a few seconds of the previously received transmission. Upon termination of this replay, the playback of the original transmission is resumed again at this point in time, in which case the part of the original transmission which continued to run during the replay is lost. A recording according to the invention is in this case neither intended nor possible.
Audio and/or video recordings of a live programme are usually made in that the receiver is switched on, the transmission channel or frequency which is of interest is located and the recording is commenced at a moment when the viewer or the listener passes the appropriate command to the recording instrument which is ready to make the recording. Furthermore, it is already known to pre-programme a recording, i.e. to record without the listener or viewer directly experiencing the transmission.
With such recording instruments, it is deemed a drawback that when the listener or viewer receives a video and/or audio transmission and then, during the transmission, for example during a piece of music or during a part of a programme such as for example a news or information programme, decides that he wishes to record this transmission, can only make a recording from the time this decision is taken but not retroactively and therefore completely.
On the other hand, for technical and economic reasons it is not possible to take the precaution of recording all transmissions and then afterwards just keep a small part and erase the rest. That would require an excessive consumption of recording material, etc.