Abstract: A recording device has medium interface means for interfacing with a storage medium for recording data on the medium and retrieving data from the medium, and host interface means for communicating with a host via messages according to a protocol (ATA/ATAPI). The messages include a write command for writing a series of data blocks in real-time. The device has error monitoring for generating an error message for notifying the host in dependence of an error status within the series of data blocks (84). The error status may indicate the location of a write error (85) in the series, or exceeding a timeout during recording (TRS+TRET+TCAL).