Patent ID: 8094830

Claim:
A video and sound output device which outputs video and sound, the video and sound output device comprising: an internal speaker operable to output sound; a holding unit operable to hold information which indicates a sound output mode; a receiving unit operable to receive a mode specifying instruction for specifying a sound output mode; a management unit operable to cause, based on the mode specifying instruction received by the receiving unit, the holding unit to hold one of: (a) information indicating a first sound output mode in which sound is outputted from the internal speaker, or (b) information indicating a second sound output mode in which sound is outputted from an external speaker outside the video and sound output device; and an output unit operable to output the information indicating the sound output mode held in the holding unit, to an external speaker control device which controls the external speaker, wherein the output unit is operable to output information to the external speaker control device such that: (a) when the information indicating the first sound output mode is received, the sound is not outputted from the external speaker; and (b) when the information indicating the second sound output mode is received, the sound is outputted from the external speaker, and the video and sound output device further comprises: a control unit operable to: (a) cause the sound to be outputted from the internal speaker, when the information indicating the first sound output mode is held in the holding unit, and (b) not cause the sound to be outputted from the internal speaker when the information indicating the second sound output mode is held in the holding unit.