A data stream, to be processed by a compatible player, for representing a program containing audio and/or visual components; said components being represented in the form of bit streams organized in a series of data blocks, with each data block containing bits of one or more bit streams and the number of bits of each bit stream within a data block being variable such that the bit-use rates of the bit streams are independent of each other, and with the bits in the bit streams being distributed in the data blocks such that, after being processed and buffered by a compatible player, bits are at all times available as required for proper reconstruction of the respective audio and/or visual components; the same data blocks that contain bits representing said audio and/or visual components further containing commands interleaved therewith that specify how said player is to process said components, the bits in said bit streams and said commands having positions in the data blocks that are not predetermined and that may vary from one data block to another. view more

A data stream in accordance with claim 1 wherein said commands include commands for controlling the presentation of menus that allow a user of a player to choose from among options that determine how said audio and/or visual components are processed.

A set of stored data, to be processed by a compatible system, for representing a program containing audio and/or visual components; said components being represented in the form of bits organized in a series of data blocks, with each data block containing one or more bit streams representing respective audio and/or visual components and the number of bits of each bit stream within a data block being variable such that the bit-use rates of the bit streams are independent of each other, and with the bits in the bit streams being distributed in the data blocks such that, after being processed and buffered by a compatible system, bits are at all times available as required for proper reconstruction of the respective audio and/or visual components; the same data blocks that contain bits representing said audio and/or visual components further containing commands interleaved therewith that specify how said system is to process said components, the bits in said bit streams and said commands having positions in the data blocks that are not predetermined and that may vary from one data block to another. view more

A set of stored data in accordance with claim 6 wherein said commands include commands for controlling the presentation of menus that allow a user of a system to choose from among options that determine how said audio and/or visual components are processed. view more

An optical disk for use in a compatible player for representing a program containing audio and/or visual components; said components being represented on the disk in the form of digital data streams organized in a series of data blocks, with each data block containing bits of one or more data streams and the number of bits of each data stream within a data block being variable such that the bit-use rates of the data streams are independent of each other, and with the bits in the data streams being distributed in the data blocks such that, after being read from the disk and buffered by a compatible player, bits are at all times available as required for proper reconstruction of the respective audio and/or visual components; the same data blocks that contain bits representing said audio and/or visual components further containing commands interleaved therewith that specify how said player is to process said components, the bits in said data streams and said commands having positions in the data blocks that are not predetermined and that may vary from one data block to another. view more

An optical disk in accordance with claim 1 wherein said commands include commands for controlling the presentation of menus that allow a user of the disk to choose from among options that determine how said audio and/or visual components are processed. view more