Patent ID: 8660151

Claim:
An encoding system comprising: a plurality of encoding apparatuses, which are set in order, wherein a first encoding apparatus of the plurality of encoding apparatuses including: a first encoding unit that encodes signals; a first timer that outputs time information; and a multiplexing unit that multiplexes an encoded stream outputted from the first encoding unit and the time information outputted from the first timer, to output the resultant multiplexed stream as output of the first encoding apparatus, and an i-th (where 2≦i) encoding apparatus of the plurality of encoding apparatuses including: an i-th encoding unit that encodes signals; an i-th timer that outputs time information; a timer adjusting unit that adjusts the i-th timer so that the time information outputted from the i-th timer and time information within a multiplexed stream outputted from an (i−1)-th encoding apparatus of the plurality of encoding apparatuses are synchronized with each other; and a multiplexing unit that multiplexes the multiplexed stream outputted from the (i−1)-th encoding apparatus, an encoded stream outputted from the i-th encoding unit and the time information outputted from the i-th timer, to output the resultant multiplexed stream as output of the i-th encoding apparatus.