Abstract: According to one embodiment, a stream distribution system includes a distribution server that distributes content via streaming through a network, and a stream receiving device that receives the content from the distribution server. The distribution server includes a data distributor that distributes stream data of the content in response to a transmission request from the stream receiving device together with low bit-rate specific reproduction data. The specific reproduction data is tagged with a timestamp equivalent to that of the stream data and generated from the stream data. The stream receiving device includes a reproducer that switches reproduction output between the stream data and the specific reproduction data received from the distribution server while establishing reproduction synchronization between the stream data and the specific reproduction data based on the timestamp.

Abstract: A relay device employs a control system which notifies control data indicating its own specification to transmitting equipment to receive data in a form matching to its own specification and acquires control data D13 from receiving equipment employing the control system and connected to a latter stage. The relay device determines whether its own specification is in a higher order or not in comparison a specification indicated by the control data D13 with its own specification, and if it is determined that its own specification is in the higher order, rewrites the control data D13 from the receiving equipment by its own control data D12 to notify it to the transmitting equipment. Thereby, the relay device can reproduce the data from the transmitting equipment in accordance with its own specification. At this time, since the relay device converts the received data from the transmitting equipment to transmit it, even the receiving equipment can reproduce it in accordance with an appropriate specification.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a reproducing apparatus includes: a data acquisition device acquiring a plurality of object data constituted with a group of data units having reproduce time instant information, the reproduce time instant information of each of the object data being independent of each other; a rewriting device calculating offset time information being a difference between a reproduce time instant and a reference time instant of the object data and rewriting the reproduce time instant information of the object data to reproduce time instant information adjusted to the reference time instant by using the offset time information; and a reproduce processing device reproducing the object data in accordance with the reproduce time instant information rewritten by the rewriting device.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, primary object data and secondary object data which include data unit groups having playback time information and which are temporally independent and are different from each other are synchronously played back. Playback time information is acquired from the played-back primary object data, and playback time information is acquired from the played-back secondary object data. Using one of the acquired playback time information of the primary object data and that of the secondary object data, the primary object data and the secondary object data are played back in sync.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, object data which is formed of a data unit group having time information and includes main AV data and sub AV data is used. Upon synchronously playing back the main AV data and the sub AV data from this object data, time information is acquired from each of the played-back main AV data and sub AV data, and data playback is made using the acquired time information of each of the main AV data and sub AV data.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, disconnection/connection of external devices networked as connected devices is automatically detected, and connection environment of the external devices is grasped, so that various functions can be controlled. A disconnection/connection detecting unit detects whether an external device is connected to or disconnected. An authentication unit conducts a mutual authentication when the external device is connected. When the external device is disconnected while the recording medium is being reproduced, a positional information processing unit causes positional information concerning a position being reproduced to be stored. When the external device reconnected again, a reproduction start control unit starts a reproduction of the recording medium according to the positional information.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, information that indicates a reception specification of a connected receiving-side device is acquired from the receiving-side device, and signals including images or voices of a form that corresponds to the acquired reception specification are searched and obtained from either one of a mounted information recording medium and a data server on a network, and then, the acquired signals are subjected to predetermined signal processing to be outputted to the receiving-side device.

Abstract: A content reproduce system for reproducing a content realized from stream data recorded in a storage medium and stream data distributed via a network, the system including: a distribution server for distributing the stream data via the network as data matching a bit rate of the network; and a reproduce device which measures the bit rate of the network, issues to the distribution server a request for data corresponding to the measured bit rate, and synchronously reproduces the stream data transmitted from the distribution server and the stream data read from the storage medium.

Abstract: A relay device employs a control system which notifies control data indicating its own specification to transmitting equipment to receive data in a form matching to its own specification and acquires control data D13 from receiving equipment employing the control system and connected to a latter stage. The relay device determines whether its own specification is in a higher order or not in comparison a specification indicated by the control data D13 with its own specification, and if it is determined that its own specification is in the higher order, rewrites the control data D13 from the receiving equipment by its own control data D12 to notify it to the transmitting equipment. Thereby, the relay device can reproduce the data from the transmitting equipment in accordance with its own specification. At this time, since the relay device converts the received data from the transmitting equipment to transmit it, even the receiving equipment can reproduce it in accordance with an appropriate specification.