Abstract: Disclosed is a video-signal recording & playback apparatus and method for recording and playing back a video signal of a television-broadcast program and a recording medium for storing a computer-readable program for controlling the video-signal recording & playback apparatus. A video-signal recording & playback apparatus includes a detection element for detecting relevant information related to a program being recorded and a modification element for automatically modifying an algorithm of detecting a program-representing picture in dependence of the relevant information.

Abstract: A signal recorder/reproducer comprising an integrated buffer memory 22 having a memory area for a recording system and a memory area for a reproduction system, the allocation of the memory areas being variable, and a system controller 5 to control, via a recording control signal input unit 2 or reproduction control signal input unit 4, the allocation of the memory areas in the integrated buffer memory 22 depending upon which is designated by the user, a recording or reproduction mode.

Abstract: An image recording and playback apparatus and method and a recording medium by which a representative picture of image data recorded on a hard disk can be searched out and displayed rapidly are disclosed. An inputted AV signal is recorded on a hard disk, and a comparison table produced based on GOP numbers of an inputted image signal and recorded positions on the hard disk at which the top data of GOPs of the GOP numbers is recorded is recorded on another hard disk. Another table produced based on GOP numbers of GOPs in each of which an intra-picture necessary to play back a corresponding representative picture is included and the distances between the intra-pictures and the corresponding representative pictures included in the GOPs of the GOP numbers is recorded on a further hard disk.