Recording and reproducing apparatus, recording and reproducing method and program

A recording and reproducing method comprising the steps of:

• extracting program data containing commercial message sections and main sections from a video signal;
• recording the extracted program data therein;
• analyzing the program data to identify the commercial message sections and the main sections;
• generating dip attribute information for the identified commercial message sections;
• adding skip information indicting that skipping is requested to the clip attribute information based on a skip request signal input by a viewer;
• and
• controlling the reproduction of the commercial message sections depending on the skip information when reproducing the program data,
• wherein the controlling step determines not to skip a commercial message, the skip being requested by a viewer, when the number of times that this commercial message is viewed is below a predetermined threshold value,
• wherein the controlling step automatically skips the reproduction of a commercial message without a skip request signal input by a viewer after this commercial message is viewed by more than a predetermined number of times,
• wherein the clip attribute information of each commercial message sections relates identification information of the commercial message section with identification information of a main section which the commercial message section belongs to, start and end positions indicating a start time and an end time of the commercial message section in the main section, skip information indicating whether to skip the commercial message section, and a reference destination indicating a start time or a start address of another commercial message section that is a repeat of the commercial message section, and
• wherein after recording the program data, the recording step deletes a first recorded commercial message section that is a repeat of a second commercial message section.

A non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing a computer controlling a recording and reproducing apparatus to function as:

• an extracting unit that extracts program data containing commercial message sections and main sections from a video signal;
• a recording unit that records the program data extracted by the extracting unit;
• an analyzing unit that analyzes the program data to identify the commercial message sections and the main sections and generates clip attribute information for the identified commercial message sections;
• a data processing unit that adds skip information indicating that skipping is requested to the clip attribute information based on a skip request signal input by a viewer;
• and
• a reproduction control unit that controls the reproduction or the commercial message sections depending on the skip information when reproducing the program data recorded in the recording unit,
• wherein the reproduction control unit determines not to skip a commercial message, the skip being requested by a viewer, when the number of times that this commercial message is viewed is below a predetermined threshold value,
• wherein the reproduction control unit automatically skips the reproduction of a commercial message without a skip request signal input by a viewer after this commercial message is viewed by more than a predetermined number of times,
• wherein the clip attribute information of each commercial message sections relates identification information of the commercial message section with identification information of a main section which the commercial message section belongs to, start and end positions indicating a start time and an end time of the commercial message section in the main section, skip information indicating whether to skip the commercial message section, and a reference destination indicating a start time or a start address of another commercial message section that is a repeat of the commercial message second, and
• wherein after recording the program data, the recording unit deletes a first recorded commercial message section that is a repeat of a second commercial message section.