Abstract: Provided is a video/audio playback apparatus and a video/audio playback method in which on receiving an instruction for switching video operation from the video operation switching circuit, a data reading circuit reads a video/audio stream for playing an audio and a video/audio stream for playing a video from a recording medium, and an audio playback circuit reproduces an audio stream separated from the video/audio stream for playing the audio on the basis of time management information embedded in the audio stream and a predetermined reference time, and a video playback circuit reproduces a video stream separated from the video/audio stream for playing the video on the basis of a reference time different from the reference time, and thereby the video can freely played with the audio being normally played.

Abstract: An audio-visual recording/playback apparatus having an image pickup unit for capturing video and audio, comprises a compression unit for generating streams from data captured by the image pickup unit, a stream multiplexing unit for multiplexing the streams, and a recording medium on which the streams are recorded. A plurality of streams are generated from a signal captured by the image pickup unit, the plural streams are multiplexed, and the multiplexed stream is recorded. Therefore, when playing the recorded streams using a common player, a viewer can select and play his/her favorite video while continuing playback of audio as it is.

Abstract: Provided is a video/audio playback apparatus and a video/audio playback method in which on receiving an instruction for switching video operation from the video operation switching circuit, a data reading circuit reads a video/audio stream for playing an audio and a video/audio stream for playing a video from a recording medium, and an audio playback circuit reproduces an audio stream separated from the video/audio stream for playing the audio on the basis of time management information embedded in the audio stream and a predetermined reference time, and a video playback circuit reproduces a video stream separated from the video/audio stream for playing the video on the basis of a reference time different from the reference time, and thereby the video can freely played with the audio being normally played.

Abstract: A system management control unit (108) for controlling a switching unit (107) is provided, and a data format to be employed when recording data on a recording medium is switched between a program stream and a transport stream according to the state of a system, whereby the capacity of the recording medium can be efficiently utilized, and the characteristics of multiple channels in digital broadcasting can be maintained.