Abstract: An adding unit of a broadcasting apparatus attaches entry information to a content to be broadcast. The entry information specifies a content that is identical to the content to be broadcast out of a plurality of contents available for distribution by a distributing apparatus. A sending unit of the broadcasting apparatus broadcasts the content with the entry information attached thereto. An entry information recording unit of a recording apparatus records the entry information that is attached to the received content to a hard disk, and a requesting unit requests the distributing apparatus to distribute the content specified by the recoded entry information. A content distributing unit of the distributing apparatus receives the distribution request, and distributes the requested content to the recording apparatus. The recording apparatus plays back the distributed content.

Abstract: A broadcasting system, a receiving apparatus, a broadcasting method, and a receiving method which can protect a copyright of a still image which is sent by a digital broadcast are provided. When it is necessary to protect the copyright of the still image in the digital broadcast, a still image copy control descriptor is described and this still image copy control descriptor is included in PMT, EIT, and SDT. By using the still image copy control descriptor, the operation of a receiver can be finely described by copyright information of the still image in the digital broadcast and copyright information. Printing in the receiver of contents of the digital broadcast can be finely controlled. Recording to a recording medium in the receiver of contents of the digital broadcast can be finely controlled.

Abstract: Contents reserved to be recorded by a user manually operating a switch unit are stored in an EPG/reservation information memory as first reservation information. A CPU having acquired EPG data by a TV unit or a communication interface stores the acquired EPG data in the memory. By referring to the stored EPG data, program information corresponding to the stored first reservation information is extracted, and an ID of the extracted program information is added to the first reservation information. Therefore, the subsequent change of a broadcast schedule is made by referring to the EPG data to be acquired later. Even if a manual reservation is made, the user can reliably view or record a program desired to be reserved.

Abstract: An optical disc recording apparatus including: a receiving unit operable to receive designations from a user, the designations including a recording start designation, a recording end designation, a pause designation, and a pause release designation; an encoding unit operable to generate one video object by compressing audio and video data for a period starting when the receiving unit receives the recording start designation or the pause release designation and ending when the receiving unit receives the pause designation or the recording end designation, where if the receiving unit receives the pause release designation, a video object is generated so that the video object is capable of being seamlessly reproduced with an immediately preceding video object in a reproduction apparatus; a generation unit operable to generate a seamless flag each time a video object is generated, the seamless flag showing whether the video object corresponding to the seamless flag is capable of being seamlessly reproduced with

Abstract: A storage medium storing a multimedia image stream and a text-based subtitle stream, and a reproducing apparatus and a reproducing method therefor are provided to reproduce the text-based subtitle data stream recorded separately from the multimedia image stream such that the subtitle data can be easily produced and edited and a caption can be provided in a plurality of languages. The storage medium stores: image data; and text-based subtitle data to display a caption on an image based on the image data, wherein the subtitle data includes: one style information item specifying an output style of the caption; and a plurality of presentation information items that are displaying units of the caption, and the subtitle data is separated and recorded separately from the image data. Accordingly, a caption can be provided in a plurality of languages, and can be easily produced and edited, and the output style of caption data can be changed in a variety of ways.

Abstract: When macro blocks each of which has a variable length are input for one picture, null syncs each of which has a unit length are generated corresponding to the format of the video data to be handled. Corresponding to the length information, an overflow portion of a macro block is detected. The overflow portion is successively packed to macro blocks each of which is smaller than the unit length. Thus, each macro block is packed in the unit length. Since the length information of each null sync represents 0, the overflow portions are packed after the length information of each null sync. With null syncs, one format of video data can be matched with another format. In addition, with null syncs, overflow portions are packed. Thus, the record medium can be effectively used.

Abstract: A dew sensor 140 for detecting moisture in a space enclosing an optical pickup device 86 is disposed in the vicinity of a pickup lens 87 of an optical pickup device 86 and on a partition wall 10 on which a table rotation device 82 is supported. According to the dew sensor 140, a phenomenon in which it becomes impossible to record and/or reproduce an information signal with respect to a disc shaped recording medium when the pickup lens of the optical pickup device becomes dim caused by a dew condensation will be avoided.

Abstract: A video recording/reproducing apparatus comprises a receiver which receives a broadcast program, an acquiring unit which acquires program information of the broadcast program, a recording unit which records the broadcast program received by the receiver together with the program information acquired by the acquiring unit, a selector which selects a type of the program, and a searching unit which searches a latest program of the type selected by the selector based on the program information acquired by the acquiring unit and the program information recorded by the recording unit.

Abstract: A system and method that permits audio data for each unit reproduction duration to be read from a disc-shaped recording medium and stored in a RAM. The audio data that are read from the RAM are transferred to a memory of a digital signal processor (DSP) and stored therein. When audio data are reproduced at for example 35 times speed, audio data for each unit reproduction duration (for example every 60 frames) are transferred to the memory of the DSP. Addresses are successively arranged in the memory of the DSP and the data are written to the addresses. Each sample of audio data stored in the memory of the DSP is read. As a result, a sound is reproduced without a break or other undesired disruption.

Abstract: A broadcast storage unit 1, which receives a program to be broadcasted digitally and records the program, includes a DeMUX processing unit 12 that acquires program information concerning a program to be broadcasted, an SI information analyzing unit 15 that extracts information on a new program from the acquired program information, a recording condition setting unit 21 that reserves the new program for recording based on the extracted program information, and a storing unit 17 that records the new program that is reserved for recording.

Abstract: Program reservation information is input to a recording-medium image recording apparatus, and a recording medium is selected. In the event that automatic updating (overwriting) of the recording medium is set in a state wherein automatic recording to the recording medium has been set, simply inserting the recording medium in that state into the device starts a reservation image recording mode, whereby program reservation is executed, and the recording medium is overwritten by image recording from the top at all times regardless of the contents of the recording medium.

Abstract: A content editing apparatus (10) includes a CPU (12). When combining JPEG data and audio data forming a moving file 1 with JPEG data and audio data forming a moving file 2, the CPU (12) calculates a reproduction frequency of combined audio data based on a sampling frequency of the audio data in the movie file 1 and a sampling frequency of the audio data in the movie file 2. The calculated sampling frequency is a frequency that makes it possible to complete simultaneously the reproduction of the combined JPEG data and the combined audio data. This sampling frequency is written into the combined file.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating and editing audio and/or video data using thumbnail representations of the data. Thumbnail representations are generated in accordance with clips randomly recorded on a disc, or other storage medium, and edit points are designated for the clips. When thumbnail representations are displayed, the disc is rotated at constant angular velocity (CAV). Video data of the thumbnail representations are read from the disc. When a desired thumbnail representation is selected and designated, the disc drive system is switched from CAV drive mode to constant linear velocity (CLV) drive mode. Video are reproduced from the position of the selected thumbnail representations. Since the thumbnail representations are read in the CAV drive mode that is suitable for randomly accessing the disc, the thumbnail representations can be displayed at high speed.

Abstract: A recording and reproducing apparatus capable of recording and reproducing the signals of both a digital broadcast system and an analog broadcast system is disclosed. By utilizing the existing configuration efficiently, the cost increase due to the system change is minimized. Both the digital broadcast system and the analog broadcast system are connected to a connector to receive both digital and analog broadcast signals. The analog broadcast signal input through the connector is recorded in a digital broadcast signal recording unit of the digital broadcast system under the control of the control unit included in the digital broadcast system.

Abstract: Program data included in a digital television broadcast received from a broadcast station is recorded. A program keyword list that has stored keywords on program sections of the program data corresponding to broadcast time zones is received from a service company's server. Videos and voices on a program section involving a keyword that meets predetermined conditions selected from the keywords stored in the received program keyword list are reproduced.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for repetitive playback of video sections on the basis of subtitles are provided. The method includes receiving a request for a repetitive playback of a certain video section of the video data; retrieving at least one subtitle data block associated with at least one video data block of the certain video section, in response to the request; and repeatedly playing back the at least one video data block in synchronization with the at least one subtitle data block.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a digital video recorder on a cable network. Signaling associated with the answering or initiation of a digital telephone call by a digital telephone subscriber is used to issue commands to a digital video recorder (DVR). A signal is generated by an MTA when the telephone is enters an “off-hook” state and sent to the DVR to initiate recording of a program being viewed by the called party. When the phone goes “on-hook”, the called party resumes watching the program from exactly where it was interrupted. The MTA may be connected directly to the VTD/DVR and the telephone state is determined by the DVR from information provided by the MTA. Alternatively, a soft switch monitors signaling from the MTA indicative of the state of the called telephone. A telephone state message comprising the telephone state information is then sent over an out-of-band channel/path to a DVR client within the VTD. The DVR client uses the telephone state information to control a DVR.

Abstract: In digital broadcast recording for automatically recording broadcasts on a channel selected from a plurality of digital broadcast programs on a recording medium, in accordance with a booking that is performed by specifying a time zone and giving a command to record a stream of broadcast contents on the user-selected channel during the time zone, the stream of broadcast contents on the channel is recorded, separated into a plurality of units for the programs broadcasted during the time zone. Thus, the recorded stream can be handled program by program in a later editing or playback operation, despite that it was recorded by booked recording for which only the time zone was specified, and thus the user-friendliness is improved.

Abstract: A multimedia optical disc is provided. The multimedia optical disc includes a data area and a management information area. The data area stores a plurality pieces of video data. The management information area stores a channel table in which a plurality of logical channel numbers are respectively related to a plurality of physical channel numbers for each piece of video data. A piece of moving picture data and a plurality pieces of sub-data are interleaved in each piece of video data. The sub-data is either of audio data and sub-picture data as still pictures. The logical channel numbers are shared by pieces of video data. The physical channel numbers are used to physically identify the plurality pieces of sub-data. With this construction, it is possible to manage sub-data even when the sub-data is dealt with by a plurality pieces of video data.

Abstract: A multimedia optical disc is provided. The multimedia optical disc includes a data area and a management information area. The data area stores a plurality pieces of video data. The management information area stores a channel table in which a plurality of logical channel numbers are respectively related to a plurality of physical channel numbers for each piece of video data. A piece of moving picture data and a plurality pieces of sub-data are interleaved in each piece of video data. The sub-data is either of audio data and sub-picture data as still pictures. The logical channel numbers are shared by pieces of video data. The physical channel numbers are used to physically identify the plurality pieces of sub-data. With this construction, it is possible to manage sub-data even when the sub-data is dealt with by a plurality pieces of video data.