Abstract: A content recording/playback apparatus includes: a first medium management section for reading the encoded content from the first medium; a decoder for decoding the encoded content having been read, and outputting a decoded content; a control section for receiving and outputting at least the decoded content having been output from the decoder; a display section for reproducing the decoded content having been output from the control section; and a second medium management section for, if the encoded content is recordable to the second medium, receiving the encoded content which has been read by the first medium management section, and recording the encoded content onto the second medium, during reproduction of the decoded content by the display section. As a result, the waiting time until finishing coping onto the other storage medium can be reduced.

Abstract: An image decoding apparatus includes a decoder having a decoding data storage register for holding decoding data corresponding to a target VOP to be decoded, and decoding a video stream corresponding to the target VOP on the basis of the decoding data stored in the register. The image decoding apparatus also includes a first memory having plural storage regions for holding decoding data corresponding to plural objects. The decoding data are transferred between the decoding data storage register in the decoder and a specific storage region in the first memory. Therefore, it is possible to perform decoding on a video stream including plural objects by using a single decoder. Further, even when the number of objects to be decoded is increased, storage regions for decoding data corresponding to the increased objects can easily be increased.

Abstract: The image output apparatus comprises first and second decoders 11a and 11b for decoding encoded object data E1 and W2 corresponding to the first and second objects, video data composition means 12 for compositing output data of these decoders frame by frame according to a predetermined composition period, a buffer 13 for storing composite data of a predetermined number of frames from the buffer 13 and image output apparatus 14 for reading the composite data from the buffer 13 and outputting the composite data, wherein according to a result of comparison between scheduled display time T determined by processing ability of the apparatus and set display time Tout when the composite data stored in the buffer is to be displayed, video data composition period of the video data composition means 12 is determined.

Abstract: An image decoding apparatus comprises a decoder having a decoding data storage register for holding decoding data corresponding to a target VOP to be decoded, and decoding a video stream corresponding to the target VOP on the basis of the decoding data stored in the register; and a first memory having plural storage regions for holding decoding data corresponding to plural objects, wherein the decoding data are transferred between the decoding data storage register in the decoder and a specific storage region in the first memory. Therefore, it is possible to perform decoding on a video stream comprising plural objects by using a single decoder. Further, even when the number of objects to be decoded is increased, storage regions for decoding data corresponding to the increased objects can easily be increased.