Patent ID: 6925097

Claim:
A decoder for receiving a multiplexed stream which is obtained by multiplexing plural streams, and carrying out a decoding process for each stream included in the multiplexed stream in a parallel processing, the decoder comprising: a demultiplexing unit operable to separate the multiplexed stream into plural streams by a demultiplexing process; a decoding unit operable to carry out a decoding process for one of the plural separated streams; and a stream selection unit operable to select one of the plural separated streams and output the selected one of the plural separated streams to the decoding unit, thereby converting a decoding target in the decoding unit from one stream to another stream; wherein said stream selection unit has a position detection unit operable to detect a stream switchable position in a stream being subjected to the decoding process, at which position the decoding unit can interrupt the decoding process, and wherein said stream selection unit performs the stream selection such that the decoding process for the stream which is being processed is interrupted at the stream switchable position.