Abstract: When a program chain to be played is determined, a system controller calculates the average bit rate in the program chain by dividing the amount of data of the program chain by the total play time of the program chain. The system controller also waits for a navigation pack to be played and calculates the average bit rate in a video object unit in accordance with a play time of the video object unit and the size of the video object unit. When the average bit rate of the program chain is greater than or equal to the average bit rate of the video object unit, frame pause is performed. When the average bit rate of the program chain is less than the average bit rate of the video object unit, field pause is performed.