A method for facilitating playing of digital video data comprising: reading a plurality of data blocks of digital video data, the data blocks having a fixed size; for each data block of the plurality of data blocks: calculating the number of reference video frames read within the data block of digital video data of the plurality of data blocks; storing a timestamp associated with the data block and corresponding to when the data block was finished being read; determining statistics associated with the data block regarding an average distance between reference video frames within the data block in terms of amounts of digital video data between the reference video frames; and storing the statistics associated with the data block together with the timestamp for that data block such that the statistics may be accessed during subsequent play of the data block of digital video data based on the timestamp; and in response to receiving a command to change a mode of playback: determining a time position in the digital video data at which playback should continue and accessing the stored statistics for the corresponding data block based on the timestamps stored with the data blocks; finding an estimated location within the digital video data, based on the stored statistics accessed for the corresponding data block, of a next reference frame of the digital video recording to display; and displaying the next reference frame found as a result of the accessing the stored statistics. reading a plurality of data blocks of digital video data, the data blocks having a fixed size; for each data block of the plurality of data blocks: calculating the number of reference video frames read within the data block of digital video data of the plurality of data blocks; storing a timestamp associated with the data block and corresponding to when the data block was finished being read; determining statistics associated with the data block regarding an average distance between reference video frames within the data block in terms of amounts of digital video data between the reference video frames; and storing the statistics associated with the data block together with the timestamp for that data block such that the statistics may be accessed during subsequent play of the data block of digital video data based on the timestamp; and calculating the number of reference video frames read within the data block of digital video data of the plurality of data blocks; storing a timestamp associated with the data block and corresponding to when the data block was finished being read; determining statistics associated with the data block regarding an average distance between reference video frames within the data block in terms of amounts of digital video data between the reference video frames; and storing the statistics associated with the data block together with the timestamp for that data block such that the statistics may be accessed during subsequent play of the data block of digital video data based on the timestamp; and in response to receiving a command to change a mode of playback: determining a time position in the digital video data at which playback should continue and accessing the stored statistics for the corresponding data block based on the timestamps stored with the data blocks; finding an estimated location within the digital video data, based on the stored statistics accessed for the corresponding data block, of a next reference frame of the digital video recording to display; and displaying the next reference frame found as a result of the accessing the stored statistics. determining a time position in the digital video data at which playback should continue and accessing the stored statistics for the corresponding data block based on the timestamps stored with the data blocks; finding an estimated location within the digital video data, based on the stored statistics accessed for the corresponding data block, of a next reference frame of the digital video recording to display; and displaying the next reference frame found as a result of the accessing the stored statistics.