Patent ID: 7123818

Claim:
A video data recording apparatus comprising: a detection unit operable to detect a change in an attribute of input video data; a recording unit operable to record the video data to a recording medium; a generating unit operable to generate playback control information which shows a position in the video data at which the change in the attribute was detected; a control unit operable to control the recording unit so that the recording unit records the playback control information to the recording medium; and a retaining unit operable to retain lag data which shows a lag time including an amount of time required for the detection unit to detect the change in the attribute and an amount of time required from when the detection unit detects the change in the attribute until the recording unit stops recording; wherein the detection unit detects a change in the attribute of the input video data from a first attribute to a second attribute and from the second attribute to the first attribute; wherein the first attribute and the second attribute are defined as one of (a) the first attribute being one of (i) stereo, (ii) monaural, and (iii) multiplex audio data, and the second attribute being one of (i), (ii), and (iii) and being different than the first attribute, and (b) the first attribute permitting copying video data to which a copy protect signal is attached, and the second attribute prohibiting copying of video data to which a copy protect signal is attached; wherein the playback control information indicates to a video data playback apparatus a playback start point and a playback end point of the video data; wherein the generating unit generates the playback control information so that the detection position of the change in the attribute from the first attribute to the second attribute is the playback end point; wherein the recording unit stops recording when the detection unit detects the change from the first attribute to the second attribute; and wherein the generating unit makes a head of the video data of which recording has stopped the playback start point, and a time which is the lag time subtracted from an end time of the video data of which recording has stopped, the playback end point.