Abstract: A designated program is recorded in a hard disk by a hard disk controller according to a program reservation database. A unique number is indicated at the head block of a video cassette tape for identifying the tape, and a genre of programs is recorded in the subsequent block of the tape. When the video cassette tape is loaded, the information concerning the genre is read, and if there is record information of the same genre as that of the tape contained in the hard disk, it is additionally recorded in the video cassette tape.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus is configured to switch the audio signals to be output to the sound output terminal by means of the slide switch having contact points that activate in association with the state switched by a mechanical manipulation. When the state of the slide switch is switched to the state where the externally-input audio signal is output to the sound output terminal from the state where the audio signal is output to the sound output terminal, a video signal of a composite video on which the OSD image, indicating that the output is switched to the external signal from the internal signal, is kept output to the video output terminal until a time period has passed.

Abstract: In a video playback apparatus, it is determined whether or not a current screen is a menu screen on the basis of signals recorded on a recording medium while the display of a display unit is turned off by a display-off setting made by a user. When the current screen is determined to be the menu screen, the display is turned on so that the menu screen appears. Then, when the current screen is no longer the menu screen, the display is turned off.

Abstract: In a video disk player for playing back a disk containing a plurality of music pieces, each recorded as a combination of video data and corresponding audio data, a picture-search process section for mainly searching the video data includes an audio-data buffer memory, and upon receipt of a picture search instruction, audio data of a music piece previously designated to be continuously played back is recorded. When the picture search is performed, the video data of the music pieces contained in the disk is sequentially played back for a predetermined time interval, for example, 30 seconds, on the basis of an instruction of a video-data playback control section for search. On that occasion, the video disk player continuously plays back the audio data of the specific music piece recorded in the buffer memory regardless of change-over of the video data.

Abstract: A method utilizing a disk medium for implementing a second pause during the course of a previously paused program, comprising the steps of: interrupting recording to and playing back from a first pattern of interleaved segments used to implement the first pause and jumping to a different portion of the track; alternately recording the program to and playing the program back from a second pattern of interleaved segments at the different portion of the track; moving only sequentially from segment to segment within each of the first or second patterns during the alternating recording and playing back as long as recorded segments can be played back in order within each of the first or second patterns of segments; and, jumping between the first and second patterns of segments only when the oldest unplayed recorded segment is in the other one of the first or second patterns.