Patent ID: 7653289

Claim:
A stream converting method, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: separating a first transport stream (TS) into a first TS packet string formed from TS packets that have a prescribed packet identifier and a second TS packet string formed from TS packets that do not have the prescribed packet identifier; extracting reference time information from the first transport stream so as to produce reference time from the reference time information; determining, with reference to the reference time, time of receipt of a TS packet including a head byte of a packetized elementary stream (PES) packet in the first TS packet string as first time of receipt; determining, with reference to the reference time, time of receipt of a head byte of each TS packet forming the second TS packet string as second time of receipt; converting a bit rate of the first TS packet string so as to produce a third TS packet string; and multiplexing the produced third TS packet string and the second TS packet string so as to produce a second transport stream, wherein in the packet multiplexing step, time of receipt of a TS packet including a head byte of a PES packet in the third TS packet string is made to match the first time of receipt, and time of receipt of a TS packet of the second TS packet string is made to match the second time of receipt.