Patent ID: 8385727

Claim:
A recording apparatus comprising: a video encoder that encodes video data and generates a video stream; an audio encoder that encodes audio data and generates an audio stream; a multiplexer that multiplexes the video stream and the audio stream and generates a multiplexed stream; a recording unit that records the multiplexed stream on a recording medium, the recording unit recording a first multiplexed stream on the recording medium in accordance with an instruction from a user to start recording the first multiplexed stream, and recording a second multiplexed stream on the recording medium in accordance with an instruction from a user to start recording the second multiplexed stream, the second multiplexed stream being played back following the first multiplexed stream; a fullness controller that controls said video encoder based upon a fullness of a virtual buffer memory with the multiplexed stream, the virtual memory being used when the multiplexed stream is decoded; and a multiplexing controller that controls said multiplexer in accordance with an instruction from the user to stop recording the first multiplexed stream to stop multiplexing the audio stream onto the first multiplexed stream, wherein said multiplexing controller sets a threshold value based upon an amount of code allocated for a lead-off picture of the video stream contained in the second multiplexed stream, and controls a timing at which the multiplexing of the audio stream by said multiplexer onto the first multiplexed stream ends in such a manner that the fullness of the virtual buffer memory at the time of decoding of the lead-off picture of the video stream contained in the second multiplexed stream will exceed the set threshold value.