Patent ID: 7656760

Claim:
A playback apparatus for playing back information from a recording medium having a data structure including sync signals added in units of data items each having a predetermined size, the information being recorded in runlength limited codes, the sync signals corresponding to a plurality of patterns of consecutive unique run lengths unique to the sync signals, the playback apparatus comprising: an information reading unit that obtains a binary data string as read information by reading the recording medium; a sync detection unit that performs detection of sync signals from the binary data string; and a data demodulation unit that obtains played-back data from the recording medium by performing demodulation on the binary data string with timing based on the sync signals detected by the sync detection unit, wherein, on the basis of detection, from the binary data string, of one detection pattern among a plurality of types of detection patterns set as patterns including at least one of the plurality of patterns of consecutive unique run lengths, the sync detection unit regards the detection of the detection pattern as the detection of the sync signals.