Method and Apparatus for Accessing Content

Abstract

A method and apparatus for accessing content is capable of retrieving and selecting information is facilitated by using uniform operations. Symbols corresponding to pre-recorded programs contained on a recording medium are displayed on a screen. In response to selecting one of the symbols, representative frames comprising the program are displayed on the screen. In response to selecting a representative frame, a portion of the program is played back. In a recording device, content is accessed by displaying a representative frame from each of a number of user-defined streams. At least a portion of a stream is played back in response to selection of the corresponding one of the representative frames.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus configured to reproduce a moving image, the apparatus comprising:
 a reproducing unit configured to reproduce moving images;   a display unit configured to display a list of a plurality of small-frame images, each of the plurality of small-frame images correspond to moving images;   a user interface unit configured to receive user instruction to select one of the plurality of small-frame images displayed by the display unit; and   a control unit configured to control at least the reproducing unit,   wherein the control unit is configured to selectively provide:
 a first control mode in which the reproducing unit is configured to reproduce one moving image corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of small-frame images with audio in response to a user instruction via the user interface unit and the display unit is configured to display the moving image reproduced in a first size without displaying other small-frame images which are not selected, and 
 a second control mode in which the reproducing unit is configured to reproduce one moving image corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of small-frame images with audio in response to a user instruction via the user interface unit and the display unit configured to display the moving image reproduced in a second size which is smaller than the first size and is overlapped with other small-frame images which are not selected, wherein the other small-frame images displayed with the moving image being capable of being selected for reproduction when reproducing the moving image. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, in case that one of the other small-frame images displayed with the moving image is selected when reproducing the moving image, the reproducing unit is configured to start reproduction of a moving image corresponding to the selected one of the other small-frame images in response to a user instruction for selecting the one of the other small-frame images via the user interface unit. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the display unit is further configured to display the list of the plurality of small-frame images with literal information related to each of the plurality of small-frame images. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, when in the first control mode, the display unit is configured to display the moving image reproduced at full screen.