"but it could be the beginning of claims of and analog to digital coupling vi circuitry/DSP into a said codec and is all encompassing."

The process starts and stops with pulling a module, while relating to a digital stream. So far, we only know of the read back considerations(or listening to a file play and interrupt it)....IMO, they are not concerned with the direct A/D(analog to digital)...perhaps you mean D/A....even in that case, I do not feel they would have a main concern. IMO, its the regulated cache process in front of the D/A(reading back a stream) or the A/D(creating a stream).

A/D converter....IN and D/A converter....out

There only concern is of the D, and moving it to the converter... in, or out

doni