Patent ID: 8213765

Claim:
A recording and playback apparatus comprising: a recording and reading part configured to detect a recording medium and to record and read out data into/from said recording medium; a bit rate detection part configured to detect a bit rate of data inputted from the outside; a bit rate setting part; a bit rate conversion part configured to convert said bit rate of said inputted data into a bit rate set by said bit rate setting part and to output input data after bit rate conversion to said recording and reading part; and a control part configured to transmit said bit rate of said input data sent from said bit rate detection part to said bit rate setting part as an input bit rate and send data for recording speed measurement to said recording and reading part in response to detection of said recording medium by said recording and reading part to thereby control said recording and reading part to start recording said data for recording speed measurement into said recording medium, said control part measuring a recordable bit rate that is a speed for recording into said recording medium on the basis of the amount of said data for recording speed measurement which is sent to said recording and reading part and a recording time required to record said data for recording speed measurement into said recording medium and outputting said recordable bit rate to said bit rate setting part when said control part detects, by an end signal from said recording and reading part, that recording of said data for recording speed measurement into said recording medium is completed, wherein said bit rate setting part performs a comparison between said input bit rate and a comparison object including at least said recordable bit rate, and (a) if said comparison object which is compared with said input bit rate is larger than said input bit rate, said bit rate setting part sets said bit rate conversion part so that a bit rate after conversion of said input data becomes not larger than said input bit rate, and (b) if said comparison object is smaller than said input bit rate, said bit rate setting part sets said bit rate conversion part so that the bit rate after conversion of said input data becomes not larger than the smallest one out of said comparison object.