Stereoscopic video recording method, stereoscopic video recording medium, stereoscopic video reproducing method, stereoscopic video recording apparatus, and stereoscopic video reproducing apparatus

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a stereoscopic video recording method, a stereoscopic video recording medium, a stereoscopic video reproducing method, a stereoscopic video recording apparatus, and a stereoscopic video reproducing apparatus that are capable of more optimally performing recording and reproduction of stereoscopic video. According to one solving means of the present invention, a stereoscopic video recording method records, in a recording medium, stereoscopic video including left-eye images ( 2 ) and right-eye images ( 1 ) utilizing parallax information, by using a stereoscopic video recording apparatus ( 6 ). From video content that contains stereoscopic images, the method grasps the amount of variation in parallactic angle having a given or larger value, a variation time that the variation in parallactic angle takes, and the number of times that the variation in parallactic angle occurs. The method then calculates an evaluation value that corresponds to the degree of eye fatigue on the basis of the amount of variation, the variation time, and the number of times of the variation, encodes the video content in such a manner that the evaluation value is within a given range, and records the encoded video content in the recording medium.

1 . A stereoscopic video recording method for recording, in a recording medium, stereoscopic video including left-eye and right-eye images utilizing parallax information, said method comprising:
 from video content that contains stereoscopic video, grasping the amount of variation in parallactic angle having a given or larger value, a variation time that the variation in parallactic angle takes, and the number of times that the variation in parallactic angle occurs; calculating an evaluation value that corresponds to the degree of eye fatigue on the basis of said amount of variation, said variation time, and said number of times of the variation; encoding said video content in such a manner that said evaluation value is within a given range; and recording the encoded said video content in said recording medium.   
     
     
         2 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 1 , wherein, when recording the encoded said video content in said recording medium, said evaluation value is also recorded in said recording medium so that said evaluation value can be displayed when a user views said video content to allow the user to estimate the degree of eye fatigue in advance. 
     
     
         3 . A stereoscopic video recording method for recording, in a recording medium, stereoscopic video including left-eye and right-eye images utilizing parallax information, said method comprising:
 grasping a maximum parallactic angle value from video content that contains stereoscopic video; encoding said video content in such a manner that said maximum parallactic angle value is not more than a given value; and recoding the encoded said video content in said recording medium, wherein said maximum parallactic angle value is also recorded in said recording medium so that said maximum parallactic angle value can be displayed when a user views said video content to allow the user to recognize a maximum degree of three-dimensionality of the stereoscopic video.   
     
     
         4 . A stereoscopic video recording method for recording, in a recording medium, stereoscopic video including left-eye and right-eye images utilizing parallax information, said method comprising:
 from video content that contains stereoscopic video, grasping the amount of variation in parallactic angle having a given or larger value, a variation time that the variation in parallactic angle takes, and the number of times that the variation in parallactic angle occurs; and calculating an evaluation value that corresponds to the degree of eye fatigue on the basis of said amount of variation, said variation time, and said number of times of the variation;   defining a stereoscopic-video parental level on the basis of a maximum parallactic angle value grasped from said video content, said evaluation value, and a flat-video parental level; and   recoding said stereoscopic-video parental level in said recording medium together with said video content so that a restriction can be imposed on the viewing of said video content.   
     
     
         5 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 1 , wherein, for blending of a stereoscopic image and a subtitle image that is formed in a stream as OSD information separately from said video content, supplementary information for limiting a range of display of said subtitle image in a depth direction is recorded in said recording medium separately from said video content and said OSD information. 
     
     
         6 . A stereoscopic video recording method for recording, in a recording medium, stereoscopic video including left-eye and right-eye images utilizing parallax information,
 wherein video content that contains stereoscopic video is composed of digital video information comprising an I picture that is data-compressed within a frame, a P picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I picture in a preceding direction in time, and a B picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I or P picture in a preceding/following direction in time,   and wherein said video content is recorded in said recording medium in such a manner that flat and stereoscopic images in units of said digital video information or an integral multiple of said digital video information exist in a mixed manner, and a flat video stream having the same contents as a stereoscopic video stream exists in parallel so that the flat and stereoscopic video streams can be switched by a setting of a reproducing apparatus.   
     
     
         7 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 6 , wherein, in said recording medium, control information related to a video unit in which said digital video information continues in time is recorded as supplementary information at a beginning of said video unit. 
     
     
         8 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 6 , wherein, in said recording medium, in a video unit in which said digital video information continues in time, a user data start code is defined in a header portion of said digital video information, and control information related to said video unit is recorded as supplementary information following said user data start code. 
     
     
         9 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein GOP table information is recorded in a video control information recording region that is separate from said digital video information, and said GOP table information includes locations and time codes- of the units of said digital video information, in a video unit in which said digital video information continues in time, and   in said GOP table information in said recording medium, control information related to said video unit is recorded as supplementary information.   
     
     
         10 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said digital video information is recorded in said recording medium in such a manner that the left-eye and right-eye images are sequentially arranged as independent units. 
     
     
         11 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said supplementary information has a region for recording content information that describes content name, cast, time of production, and distributor of the video content. 
     
     
         12 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said supplementary information has a region for recording copyright information that describes copyright owner, distributor, and capital participant. 
     
     
         13 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said supplementary information has a region for recording stereoscopic video information that describes presence/absence of stereoscopic image compatibility, presence/absence of all-flat-image compatibility indicating whether the video content can be reproduced to the end only with flat images, and information as to whether stereoscopic reproduction has priority when stereoscopic image compatibility is present. 
     
     
         14 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein a region code that is recorded in said supplementary information to restrict a region for reproduction includes reproduction permission about flat video and reproduction permission about stereoscopic video. 
     
     
         15 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said supplementary information has a region for recording OSD information that describes a character font displayed as OSD information, a character size, in-plane location information, and depth-direction position information. 
     
     
         16 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 15 , wherein said OSD information further includes presence/absence of a depth-direction limitation and a limit position. 
     
     
         17 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 15 , wherein said OSD information further includes a speed of depth-direction positional variation. 
     
     
         18 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said supplementary information has a region for recording stereoscopic video time information that includes a time code indicating a start of stereoscopic reproduction, and a total stereoscopic reproduction time from a start to an end of stereoscopic reproduction or a remaining reproduction time to an end of stereoscopic reproduction from a time during the reproduction. 
     
     
         19 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said supplementary information has a region for recording jump destination information that indicates presence/absence of seamless reproduction to next said digital video information, a jump destination's address to a video unit or a jump destination's time code, and presence/absence of stereoscopic information in said video unit as a jump destination. 
     
     
         20 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said supplementary information has a region for recording resolution information that includes an in-plane resolution for flat-image reproduction, an in-plane-direction resolution of a PinP image, and a depth-direction resolution. 
     
     
         21 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said supplementary information has a region for recording stereoscopic video scheme information that includes at least one of: designation about a scan-doubling rate on a display apparatus side during stereoscopic reproduction, presence/absence of the use of polarizing eyeglasses, and presence/absence of the use of a liquid-crystal shutter mechanism. 
     
     
         22 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said supplementary information has a region for recording frame rate information that includes a frame rate for flat-video reproduction and a frame rate for stereoscopic-video reproduction. 
     
     
         23 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said supplementary information has a region for recording angle information that includes the number of independent stereoscopic video stream(s) that are reproduced in parallel when stereoscopic video stream(s) are constructed in parallel with multi-angle flat video streams. 
     
     
         24 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 7 , wherein said digital video information or said video unit is recorded in said recording medium with padding data added at an end such that said digital video information or said video unit fits an integral multiple of a transport packet. 
     
     
         25 . A stereoscopic video recording method for recording, in a recording medium, stereoscopic video including left-eye and right-eye images utilizing parallax information,
 wherein video content that contains stereoscopic video is composed of digital video information comprising an I picture that is data-compressed within a frame, a P picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I picture in a preceding direction in time, and a B picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I or P picture in a preceding/following direction in time, and   said video content is recorded in said recording medium in such a manner that flat and stereoscopic images in units of said digital video information or an integral multiple of said digital video information exist in a mixed manner, and said right-eye and left-eye images of the stereoscopic video are alternately arranged.   
     
     
         26 . A stereoscopic video recording method for recording, in a recording medium, stereoscopic video including left-eye and right-eye images utilizing parallax information,
 wherein video content that contains stereoscopic video is composed of digital video information comprising an I picture that is data-compressed within a frame, a P picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I picture in a preceding direction in time, and a B picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I or P picture in a preceding/following direction in time, and   said video content is recorded in said recording medium in such a manner that flat and stereoscopic images in units of said digital video information or an integral multiple of said digital video information exist in a mixed manner, and one of said right-eye images and left-eye images of the stereoscopic video are recorded in a form compressed into differential information in relation to the other.   
     
     
         27 . The stereoscopic video recording method according to  claim 26 , wherein said differential information about the stereoscopic video is recorded as supplementary information in said recording medium. 
     
     
         28 . A stereoscopic video recording method for recording, in a recording medium, stereoscopic video including left-eye and right-eye images utilizing parallax information,
 wherein video content that contains stereoscopic video is composed of digital video information comprising an I picture that is data-compressed within a frame, a P picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I picture in a preceding direction in time, and a B picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I or P picture in a preceding/following direction in time, and   in said video content, flat and stereoscopic images in units of said digital video information or an integral multiple of said digital video information exist in a mixed manner,   and wherein one of said right-eye images and left-eye images of the stereoscopic video are composed of, in units of pixels or in units of macroblocks as minimum units of compressed images: parallactic angle information for reproduction that can be achieved from parallactic angle in relation to the other; and differential information for reproduction that cannot be achieved with said parallactic angle information, and wherein said parallactic angle information and said differential information are recorded as supplementary information in said recording medium.   
     
     
         29 . A stereoscopic video recording medium in which said video content including stereoscopic video is recorded by the stereoscopic video recording method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         30 . A stereoscopic video reproducing method for reproducing stereoscopic video including left-eye and right-eye images utilizing parallax information,
 wherein, with a recording medium recording video content that includes stereoscopic video and that is encoded in such a manner that a maximum parallactic angle value grasped from said video content is not more than a given value,   said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads said maximum parallactic angle value from said recording medium, and displays said maximum parallactic angle value when a user views said video content so that the user can recognize a maximum degree of three-dimensionality of the stereoscopic video.   
     
     
         31 . A stereoscopic video reproducing method for reproducing stereoscopic video including left-eye and right-eye images utilizing parallax information,
 wherein, with a recording medium recording video content that contains stereoscopic video and a stereoscopic-video parental level about said video content, said stereoscopic-video parental level being based on: an evaluation value corresponding to the degree of eye fatigue that is calculated from said video content; a maximum parallactic angle value that is grasped from said video content; and a flat-video parental level,   said evaluation value being calculated by: grasping, from said video content, the amount of variation in parallactic angle having a given or larger value; a variation time that the variation in parallactic angle takes, and the number of times that the variation in parallactic angle occurs; and calculating said evaluation value on the basis of said amount of variation, said variation time, and said number of times of the variation,   said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads said stereoscopic-video parental level from said recording medium, and imposes a restriction on the viewing of said video content on the basis of said stereoscopic-video parental level.   
     
     
         32 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 30 , wherein, for blending of a stereoscopic image and a subtitle image that is formed in a stream as OSD information separately from said video content, said recording medium records supplementary information for limiting a range of display of said subtitle image in a depth direction,
 and wherein said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads said supplementary information from said recording medium, and displays said subtitle image in a form blended with the stereoscopic image on the basis of said supplementary information.   
     
     
         33 . A stereoscopic video reproducing method for reproducing stereoscopic video including left-eye and right-eye images utilizing parallax information,
 wherein, with a recording medium recording video content that contains stereoscopic video,   said video content being composed of digital video information comprising an I picture that is data-compressed within a frame, a P picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I picture in a preceding direction in time, and a B picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I or P picture in a preceding/following direction in time,   said video content being recorded in said recording medium in such a manner that flat and stereoscopic images in units of said digital video information or an integral multiple of said digital video information exist in a mixed manner, and a flat video stream having the same contents as a stereoscopic video stream exists in parallel,   said stereoscopic video reproducing method reproduces said video content from said recording medium in such a manner that the flat and stereoscopic video streams can be switched by a setting.   
     
     
         34 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 33 ,
 wherein, in said recording medium, control information related to a video unit in which said digital video information continues in time is recorded as supplementary information at a beginning of said video unit,   and wherein said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads said control information from said recording medium.   
     
     
         35 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 33 ,
 wherein, in said recording medium, in a video unit in which said digital video information continues in time, a user data start code is defined in a header portion of said digital video information, and control information related to said video unit is recorded as supplementary information following said user data start code,   and wherein said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads said control information from said recording medium.   
     
     
         36 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 33 ,
 wherein, in said recording medium, GOP table information is recorded in a video control information recording region that is separate from said digital video information, and said GOP table information includes locations and time codes of the units of said digital video information, in a video unit in which said digital video information continues in time, and   in said GOP table information in said recording medium, control information related to said video unit is recorded as supplementary information,   and wherein said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads said control information from said recording medium.   
     
     
         37 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 34 , wherein, from said supplementary information in said recording medium, said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads content information that describes content name, cast, time of production, and distributor of the video content. 
     
     
         38 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 34 , wherein, from said supplementary information in said recording medium, said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads copyright information that describes copyright owner, distributor, and capital participant. 
     
     
         39 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 34 , wherein, from said supplementary information in said recording medium, said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads stereoscopic video information that describes presence/absence of stereoscopic image compatibility, presence/absence of all-flat-image compatibility indicating whether the video content can be reproduced to the end only with flat images, and information as to whether stereoscopic reproduction has priority when stereoscopic image compatibility is present. 
     
     
         40 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 34 , wherein, a region code for restricting a region for reproduction that is read from said supplementary information in said recording medium includes reproduction permission about flat video and reproduction permission about stereoscopic video. 
     
     
         41 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 34 , wherein, from said supplementary information in said recording medium, said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads OSD information that describes a character font displayed as OSD information, a character size, in-plane location information, and depth-direction position information. 
     
     
         42 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 41 , wherein, from said OSD information, said stereoscopic video reproducing method further reads presence/absence of a depth-direction limitation and a limit position. 
     
     
         43 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 41 , wherein, from said OSD information in said recording medium, said stereoscopic video reproducing method further reads a speed of depth-direction positional variation. 
     
     
         44 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 34 , wherein, from said supplementary information in said recording medium, said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads stereoscopic video time information that includes a time code indicating a start of stereoscopic reproduction, and a total stereoscopic reproduction time from a start to an end of stereoscopic reproduction or a remaining reproduction time to an end of stereoscopic reproduction from a time during the reproduction. 
     
     
         45 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 34 , wherein, from said supplementary information in said recording medium, said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads jump destination information that indicates presence/absence of seamless reproduction to next said digital video information, a jump destination's address to a video unit or a jump destination's time code, and presence/absence of stereoscopic information in said video unit as a jump destination. 
     
     
         46 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 34 , wherein, from said supplementary information in said recording medium, said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads resolution information that includes an in-plane resolution for flat-image reproduction, an in-plane-direction resolution for a PinP image, and a depth-direction resolution. 
     
     
         47 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 34 , wherein, from said supplementary information in said recording medium, said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads stereoscopic video scheme information that includes at least one of: designation about a scan-doubling rate on a display apparatus side during stereoscopic reproduction, presence/absence of the use of polarizing eyeglasses, and presence/absence of the use of a liquid-crystal shutter mechanism. 
     
     
         48 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 34 , wherein, from said supplementary information in said recording medium, said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads frame rate information that includes a frame rate for flat-video reproduction and a frame rate for stereoscopic-video reproduction. 
     
     
         49 . The stereoscopic video reproducing method according to  claim 34 , wherein, from said supplementary information in said recording medium, said stereoscopic video reproducing method reads angle information that includes the number of independent stereoscopic video stream(s) that are reproduced in parallel when stereoscopic video stream(s) are constructed in parallel with multi-angle flat video streams. 
     
     
         50 . A stereoscopic video recording apparatus,
 wherein said stereoscopic video recording apparatus comprises one video generating block provided for one of the left and right eyes and another video generating block provided for the other eye, or comprises one video generating block that is operated at a doubled rate, and each of said one and another video generating blocks, or said one video generating block, comprises:   an AD converter that digitizes a video signal of video content that contains stereoscopic video;   a motion detecting circuit that detects motion vectors necessary to video-compress the digitized said video signal in a temporal direction;   a DCT transform circuit that applies DCT transform necessary for intra-compression to the digitized said video signal;   an adaptive quantization circuit that applies quantization necessary for intra-compression to the DCT-transformed said video signal;   a variable-length coding circuit that applies variable-length coding necessary for intra-compression to the quantized said video signal; and   an inverse quantization circuit and an inverse DCT transform circuit that decode the quantized said video signal as a local decoder,   and wherein said stereoscopic video recording apparatus records the video content and its supplementary information in a recording medium,   and wherein said video content is composed of digital video information comprising an I picture that is data-compressed within a frame, a P picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I picture in a preceding direction in time, and a B picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I or P picture in a preceding/following direction in time, and   in said video content, flat and stereoscopic images in units of said digital video information or an integral multiple of said digital video information exist in a mixed manner, and form a temporally continuous video unit.   
     
     
         51 . A stereoscopic video recording apparatus,
 wherein said stereoscopic video recording apparatus comprises a video generating block provided for one of the left and right eyes, and said video generating block comprises:   an AD converter that digitizes a video signal of video content that contains stereoscopic video;   a motion detecting circuit that detects motion vectors necessary to video-compress the digitized said video signal in a temporal direction;   a DCT transform circuit that applies DCT transform necessary for intra-compression to the digitized said video signal;   an adaptive quantization circuit that applies quantization necessary for intra-compression to the DCT-transformed said video signal;   a variable-length coding circuit that applies variable-length coding necessary for intra-compression to the quantized said video signal; and   an inverse quantization circuit and an inverse DCT transform circuit that decode the quantized said video signal as a local decoder,   and wherein said stereoscopic video recording apparatus further comprises another video generating block that is provided for the other eye, and said another video generating block utilizes a differential from said video signal of said video generating block, and   said stereoscopic video recording apparatus records the video content and its supplementary information in a recording medium,   and wherein said video content is composed of digital video information comprising an I picture that is data-compressed within a frame, a P picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I picture in a preceding direction in time, and a B picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I or P picture in a preceding/following direction in time, and   in said video content, flat images and stereoscopic images utilizing parallax information in units of said digital video information or an integral multiple of said digital video information exist in a mixed manner, and form a temporally continuous video unit.   
     
     
         52 . A stereoscopic video recording apparatus,
 wherein said stereoscopic video recording apparatus comprises a video generating block provided for one of the left and right eyes, and said video generating block comprises:   an AD converter that digitizes a video signal of video content that contains stereoscopic video;   a motion detecting circuit that detects motion vectors necessary to video-compress the digitized said video signal in a temporal direction;   a first DCT transform circuit that applies DCT transform necessary for intra compression to the digitized said video signal;   a first adaptive quantization circuit that applies quantization necessary for intra-compression to the DCT-transformed said video signal;   a variable-length coding circuit that applies variable-length coding necessary for intra-compression to the quantized said video signal; and   an inverse quantization circuit and an inverse DCT transform circuit that decode the quantized said video signal as a local decoder,   and wherein said stereoscopic video recording apparatus further comprises another video generating block for the other eye, and said another video generating block comprises:   a parallax information calculating circuit that calculates the amount of parallax with respect to said video signal of said video generating block;   a depth-direction motion detecting circuit that detects motion vectors of said video signal in a depth direction;   an estimated parallax information generating circuit that generates estimated parallax information on the basis of outputs of said parallax information calculating circuit and said depth-direction motion detecting circuit;   an inverse parallax calculating circuit that generates an image of said another video generating block from said estimated parallax information;   a second DCT transform circuit that applies DCT transform to said image generated by said inverse parallax calculating circuit; and   a second adaptive quantization circuit that quantizes an output of said second DCT transform circuit,   and wherein said stereoscopic video recording apparatus records the video content and its supplementary information in a recording medium, and wherein said video content is composed of digital video information comprising an I picture that is data-compressed within a frame, a P picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I picture in a preceding direction in time, and a B picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I or P picture in a preceding/following direction in time, and   in said video content, flat images and stereoscopic images utilizing parallax information in units of said digital video information or an integral multiple of said digital video information exist in a mixed manner, and form a temporally continuous video unit.   
     
     
         53 . A stereoscopic video reproducing apparatus that reproduces a recording medium that records video content and supplementary information, wherein said video content is composed of digital video information comprising an I picture that is data-compressed within a frame, a P picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I picture in a preceding direction in time, and a B picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I or P picture in a preceding/following direction in time, and in said video content, flat images and stereoscopic images utilizing parallax information in units of said digital video information or an integral multiple of said digital video information exist in a mixed manner, and form a temporally continuous video unit,
 wherein said stereoscopic video reproducing apparatus comprises:   a system decoder that separates a video stream containing video audio data from a signal read from said recording medium;   a compressed-video decoder that decompresses compressed video of the separated said video stream;   an audio decoder that decompresses compressed audio of the separated said video stream;   an OSD decoder that extracts OSD information that contains subtitle display from said supplementary information;   a depth generating circuit that generates a depth-direction location of said OSD information from said supplementary information;   a stereoscopic video processing circuit that generates said stereoscopic images from the video information decompressed by said compressed-video decoder; and   a blending circuit that superimposes said OSD information on said stereoscopic images.   
     
     
         54 . A stereoscopic video reproducing apparatus that reproduces a recording medium that records video content and supplementary information, wherein said video content is composed of digital video information comprising an I picture that is data-compressed within a frame, a P picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I picture in a preceding direction in time, and a B picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I or P picture in a preceding/following direction in time, and in said video content, flat images and stereoscopic images utilizing parallax information in units of said digital video information or an integral multiple of said digital video information exist in a mixed manner, and form a temporally continuous video unit,
 wherein said stereoscopic video reproducing apparatus comprises:   a system decoder that separates a video stream containing video audio data from a signal read from said recording medium;   a compressed-video decoder that decompresses compressed video of the separated said video stream;   an audio decoder that decompresses compressed audio of the separated said video stream;   a parallax information coefficient varying portion that varies the amount of parallax of said parallax information according to a setting by a user; and   a stereoscopic video processing circuit that generates said stereoscopic images on the basis of the video information decompressed by said compressed-video decoder and said amount of parallax varied by said parallax information coefficient varying portion.   
     
     
         55 . A stereoscopic video reproducing apparatus that reproduces a recording medium that records video content and supplementary information, wherein said video content is composed of digital video information comprising an I picture that is data-compressed within a frame, a P picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I picture in a preceding direction in time, and a B picture that is data-compressed with motion compensation from said I or P picture in a preceding/following direction in time, and in said video content, flat images and stereoscopic images utilizing parallax information in units of said digital video information or an integral multiple of said digital video information exist in a mixed manner, and form a temporally continuous video unit,
 wherein said stereoscopic video reproducing apparatus comprises:   a system decoder that separates a video stream containing video audio data from a signal read from said recording medium;   a compressed-video decoder that decompresses compressed video of the separated said video stream;   an audio decoder that decompresses compressed audio of the separated said video stream;   a parallax information extracting portion that detects the amount of said parallax from said recording medium;   a parallax information coefficient varying portion that varies said amount of parallax extracted by said parallax information extracting portion according to a setting by a user; and   a stereoscopic video processing circuit that generates said stereoscopic images on the basis of the video information decompressed by said compressed-video decoder and said amount of parallax varied by said parallax information coefficient varying portion.