Method and apparatus for signal reproduction

A signal reproduction apparatus that decodes a multiplexed signal in which N pieces (N≧2) of coded signals are multiplexed or one of the N pieces of coded signals, to reproduce the same, comprising:

• a signal switching unit for switching among the independent N pieces of coded signals in time division in accordance with a control signal from a decoder control unit, to select one of the signals;
• a stream information addition unit for adding, to the respective input signal that has been selected in time division by the signal switching unit, stream information corresponding to the selected input signal among N kinds of stream information for identifying the input signals, in accordance with an identification signal from a decoder control unit;
• a data division unit for detecting the stream information of the respective input signal to which the stream information has been added by the stream information addition unit, and
• dividing the respective input signal to decode the input signal by a decoding method that is decided in accordance with the detected stream information;
• N decoding units for decoding the respective divided input signals which are outputted from the data division unit by the corresponding decoding methods, respectively;
• N output units for outputting decoded signals which are decoded by the N decoding units, respectively;
• and
• a decoder control unit for controlling the signal switching unit and the stream information addition unit as well as outputting, to the data division unit, input signal information indicating which data sequence is inputted to the data division unit.