acquisition means for acquiring information data;

first recording means for recording the information data acquired by said acquisition means on a recording medium;

second recording means for recording the information data acquired by said acquisition means on a recording medium; and

control means for controlling said first recording means and said second recording means to (a) divide the information data representing a series of contents into a first part and a second part, (b) record the first part of the information data on a first recording medium and subsequently the second part of the information data on a second recording medium, (c) generate identification information indicating that the information data is divisionally recorded on the first recording medium and the second recording medium, and (d) record the identification information on the first recording medium and the second recording medium;

first playback means for playing back the information data from the first recording medium;

second playback means for playing back the information data from the second recording medium; and

selection means for arbitrarily selecting one of the first recording medium and the second recording medium,

wherein if the second recording medium is selected by said selection means, in response to an instruction to start playing back the second part of the information data recorded on the second recording medium, said control means detects, on the basis of the identification information recorded on the first recording medium and the second recording medium, whether the first part of the information data, corresponding to the second part of the information data recorded on the second recording medium, is recorded on the first recording medium, and

wherein if said control means detects that the first part of the information data is recorded on the first recording medium, said control means controls said first playback means and said second playback means to play back first the first part of the information data from the first recording medium and subsequently the second part of the information data from the second recording medium, and if said control means detects that the first part of the information data is not recorded on the first recording medium, said control means controls said first playback means and said second playback means to play back the second part of the information data from the second recording medium without playing back any information data from the first recording medium.