Patent ID: 7577340

Claim:
A recording device for recording a digital stream onto a recording medium after determining a playback time length of the digital stream to be recorded, comprising: a first control unit operable to record the digital stream onto the recording medium for the determined playback time length, even if a user makes a stop operation before the determined playback time length is reached; a generating unit operable to generate playback section information specifying, as a playback section, a part of the digital stream recorded up to a point at which the stop operation is made; and a second control unit operable to record playback path information containing the playback section information onto the recording medium, wherein the playback time length is determined using the following equation: the playback time length≧ time H/α, where the time H is calculated (i) by dividing a free capacity currently remaining in the recording medium by a bit rate set by the user for the recording device, or (ii) by depending on a record presetting made by the user, and α is a number of two or more pieces of playback section information that the generating unit is operable to generate.