System and method for synchronous reproduction of local and remote content in a communication network

A system for reproducing information stored on a data recording medium, the system in communication with a remote content provider via a communication network, the system comprising:

• means for preloading first information stored on the data recording medium into a temporary storage medium for reproduction;
• means for determining if second information associated with the first information is available on at least one of the remote content provider or the data recording medium;
• means for loading the second information in response to control information;
• and
• means for reproducing the first information and the second information, in accordance with the control information, such that the first information is reproduced at least during one of a first period and a second period, wherein the first period is a time period during which the second information is being loaded and the second period is a time period after the loading of the second information is completed.

A reproduction engine for reproducing A/V data stored on an interactive DVD, the reproduction engine comprising:

• a navigator in communication with a temporary data storage unit for loading A/V data from the interactive DVD into a first section of the temporary data storage unit, and for loading enhanced data associated with the A/V data into a second section of the temporary data storage unit;
• a decoder for decoding the A/V data and the enhanced data loaded into the temporary data storage unit;
• and
• a presentation engine for reproducing the decoded A/V data and the enhanced data, in accordance with control information stored on the interactive DVD, such that the A/V data is reproduced at least during one of a first period and a second period, wherein the first period is a time period during which the enhanced data is being loaded and the second period is a time period after the loading of the enhanced data is completed.

An interactive data recording medium comprising:

• a first data recording section for storing presentation data;
• a second data recording section for storing enhanced data;
• and
• a third data recording section for storing control and reference data utilized by a reproduction engine for retrieving the presentation data and the enhanced data from at least on of a remote content provider or the interactive data recording medium, such that the presentation data is reproduced by the reproduction engine at least during one of a first period and a second period, wherein the first period is a time period during which the enhanced data is being retrieved and the second period is a time period after the retrieval of the enhanced data is completed.

A directory structure for an interactive data recording medium comprising:

• a first directory for providing reference to presentation data recorded on an interactive recording medium;
• a second directory for providing reference to enhanced data recorded on the interactive recording medium;
• and
• a third directory for providing reference to control data for retrieving the presentation data and the enhanced data from at least one of a remote content provider connected to a communication network and the interactive recording medium, such that the retrieved presentation data is reproduced at least during one of a first period and a second period, wherein the first period is a time period during which the enhanced data is being retrieved and the second period is a time period after the retrieval of the enhanced data is completed.

A method of reproducing content stored on an enhanced navigation data recording medium using a reproduction engine in communication with a communication network, the method comprising:

• determining if a data recording medium is an enhanced navigation data recording medium;
• determining if a first mode for activating an enhanced navigation feature is selected;
• reading setup information stored on the enhanced navigation data recording medium to retrieve control information for accessing content information;
• determining, based on the control information, if content information is available for retrieval from at least one of the enhanced navigation data recording medium and a remote content provider in communication with the communication network, wherein first content information is stored on the enhanced navigation data recording medium and second content information associated with the first content information is stored on the remote content provider;
• retrieving the second content information in response to the control information;
• and
• reproducing the first content information and the second content information, in accordance with the control information such that the first content information is reproduced at least during one of a first period and a second period, wherein the first period is a time period during which the second content information is being retrieved and the second period is a time period after the retrieval of the second content information is completed.