INFORMATION RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information recording and reproducing apparatus with which impairment of user's convenience can be prevented caused by recording information such as a video and audio to which duplicate generation control information allowing only one generation of duplicate is added on a fixed type recording medium such as a built-in HDD. SOLUTION: The information recording and reproducing apparatus is provided with a first information recording and reproducing means 105 using the fixed type recording media such as the HDD, a second information recording and reproducing means 106 using a portable recording medium such as a writable DVD, and a switch 114 for routing which selects either of two information recording and reproducing means, and supplies input video information. A video decoder 102 judges whether the duplicate generation control information indicating that one generation of duplicated is allowed is added to input video. In the case that the information is added thereto, a system controller 122 controls to record video information preferentially on the second information recording and reproducing means 106. Accordingly, information for long-term storage does not decrease the available capacity of the HDD.