Patent ID: 7423949

Claim:
A reproducing apparatus comprising: first means for reading out a signal of a run-length-limited code from a recording medium; an A/D converter for converting the signal read out by the first means into a reproduced digital signal; a decoder for subjecting the reproduced digital signal to first decoding different from run length decoding to get a first decoded signal; second means for generating a plurality of information bit streams from every block of the first decoded signal between sync signals, the information bit streams being different in timing by 1-bit-correpsonding intervals; run length decoders for subjecting the information bit streams to run length decoding to get run-length-decoded bit streams respectively; third means for subjecting each of the run-length-decoded bit streams to one of error correction and error detection; fourth means for deciding which of the run-length-decoded bit streams is the smallest in error number on the basis of results of the one of error correction and error detection; and a selector for selecting and outputting the run-length-decoded bit stream being the smallest in error number as a likeliest information bit stream.