In-vehicle media playback device

An in-vehicle media playback device including a searching unit for searching for data information satisfying a request from a first storage unit for storing data information specifying media data, and a plurality of playback systems each having a playback unit for reading media data from a second storage unit for storing said media data according to said data information, and playing back said media data, a presenting unit for presenting data information about said media data, and a control unit for making a request of said searching unit for data information about media data which is a playback object, wherein

• the control unit in one of said plurality of playback systems which is connected to said searching unit via a path having a highest data transfer rate includes:
• a receiving unit for receiving a request for data information from another playback system;
• a determining unit for discriminating between a request for data information from the playback system to which said determining unit belongs, and the request for data information from the other playback system received by said receiving unit;
• a data holding unit for holding data information acquired by said searching unit in response to the request from said other playback system;
• and
• a transmitting unit for data-transferring the data information satisfying the request from said other playback system which is read from said data holding unit to said other playback system according to a data transfer rate of a path connecting with said other playback system, and wherein
• each of said plurality of playback systems makes a request of said searching unit for data information via the control unit which is connected to said searching unit via the path having the highest data transfer rate, and acquires data information satisfying the request.