Recording/playing apparatus and contents managing method

A contents managing method, comprising:

• an obtaining step for obtaining contents;
• a recording control step for controlling recording of a plurality of said contents obtained by the processing in said obtaining step;
• a generating step for obtaining management information, including a status of said plurality of contents of which recording is controlled by the processing in said recording control step, and a time period in which viewing or listening to said contents has been provided to said contents, and for changing said management information as necessary;
• a first extracting step for extracting, from said plurality of contents of which recording is controlled by the processing in said recording control step, contents which have been available for viewing or listening for a predetermined time period that have not been requested by a user for viewing or listening therein such that said contents have not been viewed or listened to within said predetermined time period, and in accordance with the management information obtained by the processing in said generating step;
• a judging step for judging whether or not there are any contents in said plurality of contents of which recording is controlled by the processing in said recording control step regarding which deleting is necessary;
• and
• a deletion control step for controlling deleting of said contents regarding which the status of said contents contained in said management information is “deletion planned”, in the event that judgment is made by the processing in said judging step that deleting of said contents is necessary;
• wherein said generating step automatically changes the status of said contents contained in said management information corresponding to said contents extracted by the processing in said first extracting step, to “deletion planned”.