Information recording medium, and apparatus and method for recording information on information recording medium

A data recording method for encoding video data and audio data to a system stream and recording the system stream to a recording medium, said method comprising:

• a first encoding step of encoding, using a first encoding section, video data and audio data in a predetermined encoding method to generate a video elementary stream and an audio elementary stream, based on a second type format (TS);
• a second encoding step of performing system-encoding, using a second encoding section, so that the video elementary stream and the audio elementary stream are multiplexed to generate the system stream, based on the second type format (TS);
• wherein the second type encoding format (TS) is a constrained format that enables conversion of the system stream from the second type format (TS) to a first type format (PS), and
• a controlling step of controlling the first and second encoding sections so as to encode with the constrained format,
• wherein, when the system stream in the second type format (TS) is converted to the system stream in the first type format (PS), it is unnecessary to re-encode the elementary streams, and
• wherein, several types of encoding methods can be allowed for the first type format (PS) and the second type format (TS), and the controlling step controls the first encoding step so as to encode the elementary streams with an encoding method which is allowed for both the first and second type formats.