Patent ID: 7447420

Claim:
A recording apparatus comprising: input means for inputting a high definition image signal and a standard definition image signal; encoding means for encoding the high definition image signal input by said input means by a first encoding method to output high definition encoded image data, and encoding the standard definition image signal input by said input means by a second encoding method different from the first encoding method to output standard definition encoded image data; sync data generating means for generating sync data for the high definition image signal and sync data for the standard definition image signal, the sync data for the standard definition image signal having a different sync pattern from the sync data for the high definition image signal so that the encoding method of an image signal recorded on a recording medium is discriminated by the sync data; mode setting means for setting one of a high definition image recording mode in which the high definition image signal input by said input means is recorded and a standard definition image recording mode in which the standard definition image signal input by said input means is recorded; control means for controlling said sync data generating means in accordance with the recording mode set by said mode setting means so as to generate the sync data for the high definition image signal in the high definition image recording mode and to generate the sync data for the standard definition image signal in the standard definition image recording mode; and recording means for forming a plurality of sync blocks by adding the sync data for the high definition image signal and ID data for discriminating each of the plurality of sync blocks to each of a predetermined amount of the high definition encoded image data and recording an encoded data stream constructed by the plurality of sync blocks of the high definition encoded image data onto the recording medium in the high definition image recording mode, and for forming a plurality of sync blocks by adding the sync data for the standard definition image signal and the ID data to each of a predetermined amount of the standard definition encoded image data and recording an encoded data stream constructed by the plurality of sync blocks of the standard definition encoded image data onto the recording medium in the standard definition image recording mode.