In a personal video recorder equipped with a randomly accessible memory device such as a hard disk drive, a product with time-shift function that enables to reproduce a certain time delayed video position in already recorded portion of a broadcast program while the program recording is still in progress, has been produced.
With time-shift function, a viewer can reproduce a desired recorded scene repeatedly using functions including pause, fast-forward, or fast-reverse etc. at a desired recorded position. That is, because the time-shift function enables a repeat of crucial scenes and to go back to missed scenes, this is useful in grasping the program contents.
As for time-shift function, Japanese Patents publication numbers 2001-111964, 2000-350130, and H07-250305 are well known.
FIG. 17 shows system structure of a recording and reproducing apparatus that have conventional time-shift function.
In the conventional recording and reproducing apparatus, recording mechanism 1702 outputs audio/video signals of broadcast program etc. to randomly accessible memory means 1701 and reproducing mechanism 1704 outputs audio/video signals stored in the memory means 1701. Recording means 1703 controls a recording action and input/output of audio/video signals for recording by the recording mechanism 1702. Reproducing means 1705 controls reproduction action and input/output of audio/video signals for reproducing by the reproducing mechanism 1704. Time-shift means 1707 performs time shifting playback by controlling the recording means 1703 and the reproducing means 1705 at the same time while recording of the program is still in progress. When total control means 1709 receives operation command from operation input means 1708, the total control means 1709 directs the time-shift means 1707 to control the recording means 1703 and the reproducing means 1705. Then the time-shift means 1707 executes time shifting playback by controlling the recording means 1703 and the reproducing means 1705.
When time shift operation is performed in the recording and reproducing apparatus of prior art, time difference between time position in recording signal and time position in reproducing signal occurs. (This difference is called hereinafter “time difference”.) This time difference exists as long as playback is done with normal playback speed. Therefore, playback end of a program does not occur until a period of time equal to the time difference elapses after the broadcast end of the program. FIG. 18 shows a diagram of the delay of the playback end of the program.
Further, there was a recording and reproducing method that fast-forward playback is performed corresponding to the time difference so that time-shifting playback of a program ends at the same time as the recording of the program ends.
When a desired program is to be broadcasted in other channel just after the end of broadcast program or when viewer has to go out just after the end of the viewing program, it was necessary to complete a viewing of the program by the broadcast program end using fast forward function intentionally to resolve the time difference. In that case, however, sometimes understanding of the program was difficult because of too fast playback speed.
Considering above issue in conventional apparatus, this invention aims to provide an apparatus, method, program and record medium that enables time shifting playback of a program to end by the broadcast program end.