METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING / MERGING FILES

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and apparatus for dividing / merging files capable of effectively utilizing the capacity of a recording medium by efficiently eliminating ineffective data allocated in the case of dividing an MPEG format system stream file. SOLUTION: The file dividing / merging apparatus is provided with: a cluster border information acquisition section 204; a GOP border information acquisition section 202: a division file generating section 207; a head padding part generating section 206; a padding information generating section 205 for generating information of a padding part; and a padding part eliminating section 208 for eliminating the padding part on the basis of information recorded in the padding part, the padding parts allocated at file division are configured with one or more private stream packets, information of the padding parts allocated at division is arranged in the packets, and the padding parts are efficiently eliminated on the basis of the information in the padding parts in a prescribed timing to effectively utilize the capacity of the recording medium. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI