Reproducing apparatus and method

Abstract

For reproduction of transport stream (TS) from a recording medium, it is necessary to control the reproduction so as not to overflow the decoder buffer at the time of starting the reproduction and or when switching to the normal reproduction from special reproduction. At the times of starting the TS reproduction from a recording medium and switching between the normal reproduction and the special reproduction, selection is made as appropriate between a reproduction technique which performs stream output with timing similar to the input timing used for recording, and another reproduction technique which monitors data amount stored up in a decoder buffer and controls stream output in accordance with the controlled data amount.

1 . A reproducing apparatus comprising:
 a drive for reading from a recording medium in which a data stream containing audio, video and time information is recorded;   a controller for controlling outputting of the recorded data stream from the recording medium; and   a decoder for decoding the data stream from the drive;   wherein the controller controls output from the drive to selectively switch between: (1) reading the recorded data stream based on the time information which is recorded with the audio and video data and (2) reading the recorded data stream based on a request from the decoder, according to a predetermined condition.   
   
   
       2 - 18 . (canceled)