Sony Corporation

Yoshihiko Hitotsui

Tadao Yoshida

Chisato Kitsukawa

A recording/playback apparatus is characterized in that management information for managing data recorded on a recording medium is provided in a format allowing tracks to be bundled into groups and managed in group units in addition to management of the data in track units. By referring to this management information, tracks from a source can be grouped automatically during a variety of recording and playback operations including mainly a search for the beginning of each group, and various kinds of editing work can be done in group units. The recording/playback apparatus is capable of carrying edit processing such as concatenation, division, batch deletion and a move operation on a specified group recorded on a disc used for recording groups each consisting of a plurality of programs.

Recording/playback apparatus and editing method

When content data are distributed from an information center via a predetermined communication line to a terminal apparatus loaded with a recording medium recorded with its identifier and prepaid information, the information center manages the usable remaining amount of money in the recording medium loaded in the terminal apparatus and updates this usable remaining amount of money every time content data are distributed. Further, if the usable remaining amount of money is smaller than the price of the content data distributed from the information center, the information center instructs the terminal apparatus to load another recording medium having a usable remaining amount of money sufficient to cover the content data to be distributed. Still further, a remaining recordable capacity of a recording medium loaded in the terminal apparatus is transmitted to the information center, and the information center compares the remaining recordable capacity with the size of the data content to be distributed. If the remaining recordable capacity is smaller than the size of the content data, the information center instructs the terminal apparatus to load a new recording medium having a recordable capacity enough for the content data to be distributed.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Yoshihiko Hitotsui