A channel changing method, comprising: sending, by a playback device to a fast channel change, FCC, server, a channel change request for a change to a target channel; receiving, by the playback device, a low bit rate media stream of the target channel that is sent by the FCC server at a preset high rate which is higher than a sending rate of a head end device, for playing, wherein a bit rate of the low bit rate media stream is lower than that of a source bit rate media stream of the target channel outputted by the head end device; receiving (S 106), by the playback device, a quick-sending end notification sent by the FCC server wherein the quick-sending end notification is used to inform the playback device that the sending of the low bit rate media stream of the target channel at the preset high rate is about to end and instruct the playback device to send a join request to the head end device for joining a multicast group of the target channel; sending, by the playback device, the join request to the head end device for joining the multicast group of the target channel; receiving, by the playback device, the source bit rate media stream of the target channel from the head end device after joining the multicast group of the target channel; and splicing, by the playback device, the source bit rate media stream of the target channel and the low bit rate media stream of the target channel and performing playing, wherein the splicing, by the playback device, the source bit rate media stream of the target channel and the low bit rate media stream of the target channel and performing playing comprises: determining, by the playback device, a low bit rate alignment data slice and a source bit rate alignment data slice based on initial packet detection information of data packets of the source bit rate media stream of the target channel and the low bit rate media stream of the target channel that are currently received, wherein the initial packet detection information comprises an initial packet identifier indicating a first packet of a data slice and a time stamp; and splicing, by the playback device behind a previous data slice of the low bit rate alignment data slice, the source bit rate media stream that is of the target channel and that starts from the source bit rate alignment data slice, and performing playing. sending, by a playback device to a fast channel change, FCC, server, a channel change request for a change to a target channel; receiving, by the playback device, a low bit rate media stream of the target channel that is sent by the FCC server at a preset high rate which is higher than a sending rate of a head end device, for playing, wherein a bit rate of the low bit rate media stream is lower than that of a source bit rate media stream of the target channel outputted by the head end device; receiving (S 106), by the playback device, a quick-sending end notification sent by the FCC server wherein the quick-sending end notification is used to inform the playback device that the sending of the low bit rate media stream of the target channel at the preset high rate is about to end and instruct the playback device to send a join request to the head end device for joining a multicast group of the target channel; sending, by the playback device, the join request to the head end device for joining the multicast group of the target channel; receiving, by the playback device, the source bit rate media stream of the target channel from the head end device after joining the multicast group of the target channel; and splicing, by the playback device, the source bit rate media stream of the target channel and the low bit rate media stream of the target channel and performing playing, wherein the splicing, by the playback device, the source bit rate media stream of the target channel and the low bit rate media stream of the target channel and performing playing comprises: determining, by the playback device, a low bit rate alignment data slice and a source bit rate alignment data slice based on initial packet detection information of data packets of the source bit rate media stream of the target channel and the low bit rate media stream of the target channel that are currently received, wherein the initial packet detection information comprises an initial packet identifier indicating a first packet of a data slice and a time stamp; and splicing, by the playback device behind a previous data slice of the low bit rate alignment data slice, the source bit rate media stream that is of the target channel and that starts from the source bit rate alignment data slice, and performing playing. determining, by the playback device, a low bit rate alignment data slice and a source bit rate alignment data slice based on initial packet detection information of data packets of the source bit rate media stream of the target channel and the low bit rate media stream of the target channel that are currently received, wherein the initial packet detection information comprises an initial packet identifier indicating a first packet of a data slice and a time stamp; and splicing, by the playback device behind a previous data slice of the low bit rate alignment data slice, the source bit rate media stream that is of the target channel and that starts from the source bit rate alignment data slice, and performing playing.