Abstract: A recording medium and method and apparatus for reproducing and recording text subtitle streams are disclosed. Each text subtitle stream includes a dialog style segment defining a set of region styles and at least one dialog presentation segment, each of which contains one or more regions of dialog text. Each region of dialog text is linked to one of the set of region styles defined in the dialog style segment, and includes at least one pair of an inline style and a text string. The inline style is configured to change one of region presentation properties specified by the linked region style for the text string.

Abstract: A digital television transmitting system includes a frame encoder, a block processor, a group formatter, and a multiplexer. The frame encoder forms an enhanced data frame and encodes the data frame for error correction and for error detection. The block processor further encodes the encoded data frame at a rate of ½ or ¼, and the group formatter divides the encoded data frame into a plurality of enhanced data blocks and maps the divided data blocks into a plurality of enhanced data groups, respectively. The multiplexer multiplexes the enhanced data groups with main data.

Abstract: Identification of starting and ending times of commercial breaks and commercials within those commercial breaks found in audiovisual content is disclosed. A solution to a “batch optimization” problem is used in which commercial locations within a set of audiovisual content are detected as a group by choosing a set of commercial locations which optimizes a cost function which can include considerations of, for example, 1) one or more cues, 2) relative locations of commercials within the audiovisual content, and/or 3) probability models based on statistics obtained regarding characteristics of typical commercial and commercial breaks. Optimization can be done over the total set of commercial location decisions, rather than on a per-commercial basis. Additionally, the cost function can be iteratively evaluated and many more types of cues and combinations of cues can be used in detection of commercials.

Abstract: The present invention is a set top box or other content management device that can convert television programming stored in a temporary buffer into a persistent event. The present invention may also trim data from a temporary buffer, such as an input buffer, without requiring additional software, RAM and other hardware normally associated with general purpose computers.

Abstract: A data decoding device for decoding a compressed and coded data includes: an inverse multiplexing part configured to separate compressed and coded data into a plurality of unit data, then separated, from the unit data, more than one type of a data pack, and adding a tag such that the data pack can be identified as separating from the same unit data; and a decoding part configured to monitor the tag, while carrying out decoding of the data pack separated from the same unit data for each unit of the unit data.

Abstract: A method for efficiently decoding a video signal is disclosed. The method for decoding a video signal based on fine granularity scalability (FGS) includes obtaining a first reference picture from a reference picture list, decoding a current block using the first reference picture, wherein the first reference picture and a second reference picture corresponding thereto have the same picture identification information and are distinguished from each other by another identification information. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize a problem caused in a procedure for decoding a video signal due to transmission error.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image data processing method of recording image data coded with the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) technique to a recording medium. For transition of the bit occupancy in a VBV buffer to a target value, the initial value of a bit occupancy in a VBV buffer is calculated on the basis of auxiliary data read from a recording medium, a comparison is made between the target and initial values of the bit occupancy, and the number of bits for assignment to each GOP of to-be-coded image data correspondingly to the result of comparison.

Abstract: A combined digital TV decoding and optical recording system includes a transport stream demultiplexer to demultiplex at least one compressed multimedia stream from an MPEG transport stream having multiplexed compressed multimedia streams. A video encoder compresses a video stream to generate a second compressed video stream. A common system controller controls operations of the transport stream demultiplexer and the video encoder, and allocates portions of a memory to the transport stream demultiplexer and the MPEG video encoder based on respective memory requirements.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording a data stream including one or more packetized video streams, comprising a detector for detecting a random-access point of the data stream and an apparatus for obtaining and address of the random-access point. A packet including an address is distinguished according to a packet identification information. A data base is created including the address and the packet identification information. The data base is recorded separately form the data stream on a recording medium.

Abstract: An information processing system serves to input a timer record setting of a content. The system includes a dividing unit that divides a first timer record setting to record the content delivered from a predetermined source for a predetermined period into a plurality of second timer record settings each designed to record the content corresponding thereto, which is expected to be delivered for the predetermined period; a change unit that determines whether the content corresponding to each of the second timer record settings satisfies a predetermined condition, and changes a predetermined setting of the second timer record setting to record the corresponding content which has been determined to satisfy the predetermined condition using a change process preliminarily correlated with the predetermined condition; and an input unit that inputs the second timer record settings to record the corresponding contents, respectively, including the second timer record setting having the changed predetermined setting.

Abstract: A buffer initially preloads a text subtitle stream recorded on a recording medium. The preloaded text subtitle stream includes a dialog style segment and a plurality of dialog presentation segments. The dialog style segment defines a group of region styles and palette information. Each dialog presentation segment contains at least one region of dialog text, where each region of dialog text is linked to a selected one of the group of region styles defined in the dialog style segment. A text subtitle decoder reads a palette update flag included in each dialog presentation segment and presents each dialog presentation segment according to an indication of the palette update flag. The palette update flag indicates whether to use the palette information defined in the dialog style segment or to use new palette information when presenting each dialog presentation segment.

Abstract: A data recording and/or reproducing apparatus and method in which, during a recording operation, the maximum bit rate of a transport stream may be detected and along with the transport stream written into a storage medium. During a reproducing operation, the recorded transport stream and maximum bit rate information may be read from the storage medium and a band width or rate for transferring data over a digital interface may be set in accordance with the read maximum bit rate information. As a result, the digital interface band may be utilized for transferring data with a relatively high efficiency.

Abstract: The recording medium for reproduction of images includes text subtitle streams. At least one of the text subtitle streams includes text data for a text subtitle and a set of style information corresponding to a set of user-selectable styles, respectively. Each style information includes a unique set of display properties required for displaying the text subtitle within a display screen. When one of the set of user-selectable styles is selected by a user, display properties of the text subtitle within the display screen are automatically changed to the selected style.

Abstract: A method of decoding a current layer using inter-layer prediction is disclosed. The present invention includes obtaining a first flag information indicating whether a current block of the current layer is coded using the inter-layer prediction, obtaining a quality identification information identifying a quality of the current block, obtaining an information for controlling a characteristic of a deblocking filter based on the first flag information and the quality identification information, and executing deblocking filtering using the information for controlling the characteristic of the deblocking filter.

Abstract: An information record apparatus includes: a down-convert device for down-converting a first content information having a first reproduction quality (HD) into a second content information having a second reproduction quality (SD) which is lower quality than the first reproduction quality; a scramble device for generating scramble information by scrambling the first content information, on the basis of a predetermined scramble key; and a first record device for recording the second content information and the scramble information into a first record medium.

Abstract: A method of decoding a current layer using inter-layer prediction is disclosed. The present invention includes obtaining a first flag information indicating whether a current block of the current layer is coded using the inter-layer prediction, obtaining a quality identification information identifying a quality of the current block, obtaining a second flag information based on the first flag information and the quality identification information, the second flag information indicating whether a reference block is included in a specific slice of a reference layer, and decoding the current block based on the second flag information.

Abstract: Systems and methods for stream format conversion. A stream format conversion system converts data from a TS format to a PS format by selecting TS packets according to PID, filtering out TS headers and PES headers to obtain ES format data, and inserting PES and PS headers into the ES format data to generate PS packets.

Abstract: When a pause request occurs, an audio delay time constituted by a delay time of frames of audio data based on the video data frames is found. During the pause, a frame offset time constituted by the offset of the frame start time of the video data and the audio data is monitored. When a pause release request is issued, based on the audio delay time and the frame offset time, the audio correction time to be corrected in the pause request is calculated. Then, when it is judged that the audio data is advanced with respect to the video data based on the audio correction time cumulatively added for each pause request, the video data is delayed by one frame with respect to the audio data, while when it is judged that the audio data is delayed with respect to the video data, the audio data is delayed by one frame with respect to the video data.

Abstract: The invention lies within the area of image compression coding, in particular of MPEG type, which uses recoding help data. The invention affords a solution for reusing the help data selectively. To this end, the invention adjoins an electronic signature representative of the constraints of the coder. Thus, it becomes possible to determine whether the help data are reusable or not for a subsequent coding using other constraints.

Abstract: A buffer initially preloads a text subtitle stream recorded on a recording medium. The preloaded text subtitle stream includes a dialog style segment defining a group of region styles and a plurality of dialog presentation segments, each of which contains at least one region of dialog text. Each region of dialog text is linked to a selected one of the group of region styles defined in the dialog style segment. The dialog style segment and the plurality of dialog presentation segments are encapsulated in a plurality of PES packets, respectively. A text subtitle decoder decodes and presents each dialog presentation segment according to a continuous presentation flag included in each dialog presentation segment. The continuous presentation flag indicates whether continuous presentation is required for each dialog presentation segment with previous one.