Patent ID: 8687948

Claim:
An apparatus for recording a sequence of video data signals on a record carrier, the sequence of video data signals comprising pictures of an intra-picture type coded without reference to other pictures and pictures of an inter-picture type coded with reference to other pictures, the apparatus comprising: input means for receiving video data signals; generating means for generating characteristic point information signals, the characteristic point information signals identifying a characteristic point in the sequence of video data signals, the characteristic point being related to a picture selected from the pictures of the intra-picture type and the pictures of the inter-picture type, the characteristic point information signals comprising a block of information, the block of information comprising: position data defining a position of the characteristic point in the sequence of video data signals; and identification data identifying the characteristic point; processing means for processing the characteristic point information signals for a plurality of characteristic points into a sequence of characteristic points information signals; and writing means for writing the sequence of video data signals and the sequence of characteristic points information signals on the record carrier; wherein the generating means are designed to generate the characteristic point information signals, in which the identification data comprises information related to presence of a sequence header, the related information comprising a sequence header indicator for indicating whether the sequence header precedes an intro-picture type or an inter-picture type, the sequence header comprising information defining coding parameters for the sequence of video data signals, and wherein the identification data further comprises information including a presentation time stamp specifying a time when a particular picture is to be presented in the sequence of video data and a packet number specifying an address where the characteristic point is located in the sequence of video data.