Abstract: A commercial according to user's needs is provided. A sponsor produces various commercials targeted to unspecified users. Each commercial data is attached with attachment data indicating the sponsor's idea of user and distributed to a large number of unspecified users. A commercial processing apparatus on the user side compares pre-registered data set beforehand by a user and the attachment data in a commercial being distributed and determines whether or not the commercial satisfies the user's needs. In response to the determination that the commercial satisfies the user's needs, the commercial based on the commercial data being distributed is shown and stored in a storage portion as registered commercial data. In response to the determination that the commercial does not satisfy the user's needs, instead of the commercial being distributed a commercial based on registered commercial data already stored in a storage portion is shown.

Abstract: A television broadcast is received and the attributes of a program of content and a commercial are detected by a sound multiplex flag detection section 6. When attribute change from content to commercial is detected, a system controller 7 instructs a demultiplexing section 2 to switch the reception section to a different channel in the commercial time period. If attribute change from the commercial to the content is detected on the former channel after switching to the different channel, it is determined that the commercial time period end is reached, and the reception channel is restored to the former channel. When a predetermined time as the commercial time period elapses, it is determined that the commercial time period end is reached, and the reception channel is restored to the former channel.

Abstract: In a recording-reproducing apparatus for recording a broadcast program, electronic program guide data distributed through a broadcast network is stored in an electronic program guide data storage area 8b of a hard disk, etc. When the user, etc., specifies any desired broadcast program, a system controller 9 retrieves the attribute of the specified broadcast program from the electronic program guide data stored in the electronic program guide data storage area 8b, determines whether or not commercials can be cut for the specified broadcast program based on the retrieved attribute, and displays the determination result on a display section 15 of a remote controller 14. If the displayed determination result indicates that commercials can be cut and the user, etc., gives a command to cut commercials, commercials are cut; if the user, etc., gives a command not to cut commercials, the broadcast program is recorded in a record area 8a of the hard disk, etc.

Abstract: Distribution schedule time data contained in electronic program guide data distributed from a broadcast station (an information providing source) is stored in a preselection data storage area as preselection data, whereby preselection of content of any desired broadcast program is registered. After preselection of the content is registered, if electronic program guide data provides change of the distribution schedule time data of the preselected content, the preselection data is updated based on the data of the changed distribution schedule time, the preselection management is performed based on the updated preselection data, and the preselected content is recorded in a record area.

Abstract: An optical disc reproducing apparatus reproduces different encoded audio signals from a first optical disc carrying recorded first audio data which is previously digitally converted by a non-compression-encoding and a second optical disc carrying recorded second audio data which is previously digitally converted by a compression-encoding.