Patent ID: 7054697

Claim:
A recording medium on which processed quantized data obtained by sampling one channel or multichannel signals in a time sequential manner is recorded and reproduced, wherein: said data recorded on said recording medium has a structure in which M-bit sample data of each channel signal is separated into a main word consisting of m1 bits on an MSB (Most significant Bit) side and an extra word consisting of m2 bits on an LSB (Least significant Bit) side, a collection of main words of 2n-th sample data of individual channels is arranged as a main sample S2n, a collection of main words of (2n+1)-th sample data of individual channels is arranged next as a main sample S2n+1, a collection of extra words of 2n-th sample data of individual channels is then arranged as an extra sample e2n, and a collection of extra words of (2n+1)-th sample e2n+1 (where n=0, 1, 2, . . . ), said data is a collection of said main samples S2n, S2n+1 and said extra samples e2n, e2n+1 as a unit, a frame is formed by a collection of a predetermined number of samples and is assigned to a plurality of audio packets which are arranged, mixed with video packets and sub picture packets, between control packets, each of said packets has a predetermined byte length, when a plurality of main and extra samples are arranged in said packet, a top of a first main sample is placed at a predetermined position in said packet and other samples are sequentially arranged after said first main sample, a total byte length of said plurality of main and extra samples is equal to or smaller than a maximum byte length of said packet, when said total byte length is less than said maximum byte length, invalid data of a stuffing byte or a padding byte is inserted in a remaining portion, and a pack includes a packet, a packet header, and a pack header, said packet header is attached to a data section in which said sample data is stored in each pack, said packet header includes at least quantization bit data, a sampling frequency, and channel information regarding the quantized data, a pack header is attached to said packet header, said pack header includes data representing whether or not a stuffing length is present and how large the stuffing length is.