JP2008227979A - Content reproducing system and content reproducing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a content reproducing system in which a media server and a media renderer being used conventionally are used to perform processing on contents and the contents can be reproduced by the media renderer. <P>SOLUTION: A control point designates the address of a digital processing service (DPS) to a media renderer and instructs reproduction (S6). Furthermore, the control point designates a server address to the DSP (S3). The media renderer requests content transmission to the designated address (S7). In response to the request, the DPS requests the content transmission to the address designated by the control point (S8), performs processing on contents received from a media server (S10), and transmits the contents to the media renderer that is a request source (S11). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a content reproduction system that executes processing on content and reproduces the content.

  There is UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) as a protocol for connecting personal computers, peripheral devices, home appliances, and the like in a home to each other via a network and providing each other's functions. UPnP includes UPnPAV, which is a definition specification of devices and services related to control of AV equipment.

  If UPnPAV is used, the AV device can be operated remotely. In UPnP, a controller called a control point controls a media server that is a source device that stores content such as video and music, and a media renderer that is a playback device (sink device) that plays back the content. The control point acquires information related to a plurality of contents stored in the media server and instructs the media renderer to play back the desired contents. The media renderer requests desired content from the media server. The media server streams the desired content in response to the request, and the media renderer plays the streamed content.

  In this playback system, in order for the media renderer to perform processing such as signal processing and format conversion on the music data stored in the media server and to play it back, a program for executing each processing on the media server or media renderer Need to be extended and is very cumbersome. Furthermore, when the media server or the media renderer executes each process, the burden on the media server or the media renderer becomes extremely large.

  In order to solve this problem, a system described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. The system described in Patent Literature 1 returns the music data stored in the media server to the media server after executing the sound field processing in a device having a sound field processing function. Then, the music data that has been subjected to the sound field processing is transmitted from the media server to the media renderer, and is reproduced by the media renderer. For this reason, in the system of Patent Document 1, the load on the media server increases and the processing of the entire system becomes complicated. Further, since it is necessary for the media renderer to specify a device having a sound field processing function, the load on the media renderer increases. In addition, since the user needs to specify a device for executing processing, the user's operation becomes complicated. Furthermore, in the system described in Patent Document 1, when a plurality of processes are performed on music data, it is necessary to repeatedly perform the above-described process, and thus the process becomes more complicated.

  In order to solve this problem, the system of Patent Document 2 has been proposed. In the system of Patent Document 2, the function management apparatus manages the processing functions that can be processed by the content processing apparatus using the function management table, and is required to execute and transfer desired processing from the playback apparatus to the content. Then, based on the function management table, the content processing device that performs processing on the content is determined, and the content providing device is instructed to transfer the content to the determined content processing device. The content providing device transfers the content to the designated content processing device, and the content processing device executes processing on the content and transmits it to the playback device. However, in the system of Patent Document 2, all devices need to transmit and receive a dedicated command, and it is necessary to be a dedicated device applicable to this service. is not.

JP 2002-236490 A JP 2005-55672 A

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described conventional problems, and uses a server and a playback device that have been used in the past to perform processing on the content and play back the content on the playback device. Is to provide a system.

  A content reproduction system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a content recording unit for recording a plurality of contents, and means for transmitting the content recorded in the content recording unit in response to a request to an apparatus that has transmitted the request. A controller having instruction means for instructing the reproduction apparatus to reproduce the selected content by designating a server address for the server to identify the selected content, and designated by the instruction means A playback apparatus having means for transmitting a content request including the address to the received address, means for playing back the received content, and a content processing apparatus for executing processing on the content. Specifies the server address to the playback device when processing the content Instead, it has means for designating the address of the content processing apparatus to which the server address is added, and the content processing apparatus has received the means for requesting content transmission to the server address included in the received address. Means for executing processing on the content and transmitting the content to the reproduction apparatus that is the content transmission request source.

  In a preferred embodiment, the content processing apparatus can incorporate one or a plurality of processing files, and a processing program for executing processing based on the processing files corresponding to the processing to be executed is installed.

  In a preferred embodiment, the controller can execute means for acquiring the processing file information relating to each processing file from the content processing device, means for specifying the processing to be executed on the selected content, and the specified processing. And a means for instructing the content processing apparatus to specify a processing file based on the processing file information and to execute processing with the specified processing file.

  In a preferred embodiment, the content processing device further includes a first content processing device and a second content processing device, and when executing processing on content, the instruction means sends the server address to the playback device. Instead of specifying the address of the second content processing device, specifying the address of the first content processing device to the second content processing device, and specifying the server to the first content processing device. Means for designating an address, wherein the first content processing apparatus requests content transmission to the server address designated by the instruction means, and executes processing on the received content, and requests content transmission Means for transmitting to the original second content processing apparatus, and the second content processing apparatus A means for requesting the content transmission, executes the processing on the received content, and means for transmitting the content transmission request source playback device to the address of the designated first content processor I.

  In the content reproduction method according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the controller specifies a content processing device that performs processing on the selected content, and transmits a processing request from the controller to the specified content processing device. A step of transmitting a reproduction request including an address of the content processing device to which a server address for identifying a selected content from the controller is added to the reproduction device; and in response to the reproduction request, The playback device requests content transmission to the address of the content processing device included in the playback request, and the content processing device responds to the server address in response to the request from the playback device. Requesting content transmission and request from the content processing device In response, the step of transmitting the selected content from the server to the content processing device, the step of the content processing device executing processing on the content received from the server, and the playback device from the content processing device In addition, the method includes a step of transmitting the processed content, a step in which the playback device receives the content from the content processing device, and a step in which the playback device plays back the received content.

  When executing processing on content, the controller designates the address of the content processing apparatus to which the server address is added instead of designating the server address to the reproduction apparatus, and instructs reproduction. In response to a playback request from the controller, the playback device requests content transmission to the address of the designated content processing device. Since the designated address is the address of the content processing apparatus, the content processing apparatus receives the content transmission request. In response to the request, the content processing device requests content transmission to the server address designated by the controller, executes processing on the content received from the server, and transmits the content to the playback device that is the request source. Therefore, since the playback device and server only transmit and receive the same commands as in the past, it is possible to use the same commands as in the past, and the controller simply specifies the address of the content processing device to the playback device, so The content processing apparatus can be interrupted in the content transmission path, the content processing apparatus can execute processing on the content, and can be transmitted to the reproduction apparatus. In other words, the content processing device is regarded as a server for the playback device and is regarded as a playback device for the server.

  Preferably, since the processing program in which one or a plurality of processing files are incorporated is installed in the content processing apparatus, the processing executable by the content processing apparatus can be easily expanded by newly incorporating an arbitrary processing file. can do.

  In addition, the content processing device selects the processing file by instructing the content processing device to execute processing with the processing file specified by the controller specifying the processing file according to the processing to be performed on the content. This is unnecessary, and the processing in the content processing apparatus can be executed quickly.

  Preferably, when there are a plurality of content processing devices, the controller designates addresses to the playback device and each content processing device in accordance with the order in which the content is transferred, so that the content processed by the plurality of content processing devices is It can be sent to the playback device.

[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a content reproduction system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The content playback system includes a control point (controller) 1, a media server (server) 2, a media renderer (playback device) 3, and one or a plurality of content processing devices (for example, personal computers) 4. These are connected to each other by UPnP. A plurality of control points, media servers, and media renderers may be provided.

  The control point 1 selects a desired content from among a plurality of contents stored in the media server 2 and instructs the media renderer 3 to reproduce the selected content. The media renderer 3 requests not the media server 2 but the content processing device 4 to transmit the selected content. In response to a request from the media renderer 3, the content processing device 4 requests content from the media server 2, and the media server 2 transmits the content to the content processing device 4 in a streaming format. The content processing device 4 receives the content in a streaming format, executes processing such as format conversion and signal processing on the content, and transmits the content to the media renderer 3. The media renderer 3 receives the content in a streaming format and reproduces the content.

  Instead of the control point 1 notifying the media renderer 3 of the address (server address) for the media server 2 to identify the content, an address obtained by adding the server address to the address (including the port number) of the content processing device 4 is used. By notifying, the content renderer 3 regards the content processing device 4 as the media server 2 and requests the content processing device 4 to transmit content. Further, when the content processing device 4 requests the media server 2 to transmit the content, the media server 2 regards the content processing device 4 as the media renderer 3, and sends the content to the content processing device 4 instead of the media renderer 3. To send. Therefore, the media server 2 and the media renderer 3 can be the same as the conventional one, and the newly provided content processing apparatus 4 can be interrupted between the content transmission paths between the media server 2 and the media renderer 3.

  The configurations of the media server 2, the media renderer 3, the control point 1, and the content processing device 4 will be described.

[Media Server]
As shown in FIG. 1, the media server 2 includes a content directory service 21, a connection manager service 22, a content database 23 that stores a plurality of content files, and a content information database 24 that stores a plurality of content information. The content file is, for example, a music file in WAV, MP3, or WMA format. The content information is information related to each content file stored in the content database 23, and includes a URI that is information indicating the location (address) of each content file and metadata of each content.

  The content directory service 21 manages the content database 23 and distributes the content file to the media renderer 3 and the content processing device 4 in a streaming manner. The content directory service 21 also transmits a content list that is a list of content information to the control point 1.

  The connection manager service 22 establishes and manages a connection for streaming content from the media server 2 to the media renderer 3 and the content processing device 4.

[Media Renderer]
As shown in FIG. 1, the media renderer 3 includes a connection manager service 31 and an AV transport service 32. The connection manager service 31 establishes and manages a connection for downloading content from the media server 2 or the content processing device 4. The AV transport service 32 requests the media server 2 or the content processing device 4 to perform streaming distribution of desired content. Specifically, the AV transport service 32 requests the content from the media server 2 when the address indicating the content of the media server 2 is designated from the control point 1, and when the address of the content processing device 4 is designated. The content processing device 4 is requested for content. The AV transport service 32 also controls the reproduction of content distributed in a streaming manner.

[Control point]
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the control point 1. The control point 1 includes a CPU 11, a memory 12, an input unit 13 such as a keyboard and a mouse, a hard disk drive (HDD) 14 for storing a controller program, and a communication unit (I / F) 15 for communicating with the outside. And a display 16. These are connected to each other by a bus. By loading the controller program into the memory 12 and executing it by the CPU 11, the control point 1 executes each operation described later.

The CPU 11 searches for the media server 2, media renderer 3, and content processing device 4 on the network. The CPU 11 acquires Device Description from the found content processing apparatus 4. The Device Description is information indicating the type of the content processing device 4 and includes, for example, only transcodec (format conversion and bit rate conversion), only signal processing, or both transcodec and signal processing. The CPU 11 acquires DPS information related to the DPS 27 (described later in detail) installed in the content processing device 1 from each content processing device 4, and generates a DPS list shown in Table 1 below.

In the DPS list, DPS information acquired from the DPS 27 of the plurality of content processing devices 4 and the IP addresses of the DPS are managed in association with each other. An example of the DPS information is shown in Table 2 below.

  The DPS information includes SP information of all SPs (details will be described later) 28 included in the DPS 27. The SP information can be set by the user's operation, SP28 ID, SP28 type (Effect is sound effect, Coveter is format conversion, etc.), SP28 name, “Status” indicating whether or not it is currently executable. Parameter name, value type, and setting value.

  Based on the DPS list, the CPU 11 displays the setting screen of each SP 28 on the display 16 and causes the user to input a setting instruction for each SP. When an SP28 setting instruction is input in response to a user operation, the setting instruction is transmitted to the content processing apparatus 4. Further, the CPU 11 specifies DPS 27 and SP 28 that execute processing on the content from the DPS list according to the condition, and transmits a content processing command to the specified DPS 27. For example, if the media renderer 3 does not support the format of the selected content, the CPU 11 specifies the DPS 27 having SP 28 for converting the content format into a format supported by the media renderer 3. Further, when a signal processing instruction is input by a user operation, the CPU 11 identifies the DPS 27 having the SP 28 that executes the selected signal processing.

[Content processing device]
FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the content processing apparatus 4. The content processing apparatus 4 includes a CPU 21, a memory (ROM, RAM, etc.) 22, an input unit (keyboard, mouse, etc.) 23, a hard disk drive (HDD) 24, and a communication unit (I / F) for communicating with the outside. ) 25 and a display 26. These are connected to each other by a bus.

  The CPU 21 controls the entire content processing apparatus 4 by loading a program stored in the HDD 24 into the memory 22. A digital processing service (hereinafter referred to as DPS) 27 is installed in the HDD 24. The DPS 27 is an application program that executes content processing such as transcodec (format conversion, bit rate conversion, etc.) or signal processing (acoustic effect processing).

The DPS 27 has multiple Signals
A processor (hereinafter referred to as SP) 28 can be incorporated as a plug-in (function expansion file). Each SP 28 is a file for executing processing on the content, and as the type of processing of each SP, format conversion (for example, WAV to MP3, WAV to WMA, WMA to MP3, etc.), bit rate conversion, sound effect processing (Reverberation effect, chorus). The DPS 27 transmits its Device Description and DPS information (SP information) to the control point 1 in response to a request from the control point 1. The DPS 27 receives the content from the media server 2 according to the instruction from the control point 1 and the request from the media renderer 3, executes the process selected by the control point 1, and transmits the content to the media renderer 3.

The operation of the content reproduction system having the above configuration will be described.
[Signal Processor setting process]
The control point 1 requests and acquires a Device Description from the DPS 27 of each content processing device 4. The control point 1 requests and acquires DPS information (SP information) from each content processing device 4. The control point 1 generates the DPS list of Table 1 based on the acquired DPS information, and OSD displays the setting screen of the SP 28 based on the DPS list. When the setting instruction of the SP 28 is input by the user, the control point 1 transmits the setting information to the content processing apparatus 4 in which the DPS 27 having the SP 28 is installed. The DPS 27 of the content processing apparatus 4 receives the setting information and executes the setting process.

[When format conversion is executed with DPS27]
When the media renderer 3 does not correspond to the format of the content instructed to be played by the user operation, the control point 1 searches for a DPS 27 that can be converted into a format that can be played by the media renderer 3 and causes the DPS 27 to perform format conversion. The content is reproduced by the media renderer 3.

  FIG. 4 is a sequence chart showing the operation of this example. The control point 1 requests a content list from the media server 2 in response to a user operation, the media server 2 transmits the requested content list to the control point 1, the control point 1 receives the content list, and the display 26 (S1).

  When the content to be reproduced and the media renderer 3 to be reproduced are selected by the user operation (S2), the control point 1 determines whether the media renderer 3 can reproduce the format of the selected content. That is, since the control point 1 acquires the format information that can be reproduced from the media renderer 3 when the media renderer 3 is found on the network, the control point 1 compares the format information with the format of the content.

  If the media renderer 3 is in a reproducible format, the control point 1 designates an address (hereinafter referred to as a server address) for the server to identify the content to the media renderer 3 as in the prior art, and the media renderer 3 Request playback. The media renderer 3 requests content from the media server 2 according to the designated server address, the media server 2 transmits the content to the media renderer 3, and the media renderer 3 reproduces the content.

  If the format of the selected content is not a format that can be reproduced by the media renderer 3, the control point 1 extracts the SP 28 that can convert the content into a format that can be reproduced by the media renderer 3, with reference to the DPS list. . For example, when the format of the selected content is WMA and the format that can be played back by the media renderer 3 is MP3, the control point 1 uses the DPS list to specify the address of the DPS 27 having SP 28 that performs format conversion from WMA to MP3. Identify. The control point 1 transmits a content processing command including the ID of the SP 28 to be processed to the content and the converted format to the identified DPS 27 (S3). The format after conversion is included in the command because it is necessary to specify the format after conversion when one SP 28 can execute a plurality of format conversions. On the other hand, the format before conversion is not included in the command because the DPS 27 can inquire the media server 2 if necessary.

  When the DPS 27 receives the content processing command, it stores the ID of the SP 28 included in the command and the converted format in the memory, and opens a port for outputting the content after the format conversion (S4). The port number of the port is transmitted to the control point 1 (S5).

  When receiving the port number from the DPS 27, the control point 1 transmits a content playback command including the address of the DPS 27 to the media renderer 3 to be played (S6). Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the port number received from the DPS 27 and the server address indicating the content are added to the DPS address. Conventionally, the control point 1 has transmitted a reproduction request including a server address. However, the DPS 27 can be interrupted in the streaming path by including the address of the DPS 27 in the reproduction request.

  Upon receiving the content playback command from the control point 1, the media renderer 3 transmits a content transmission command including the DPS address of FIG. 5 to the address of the DPS 27 included in the command (S7). That is, the media renderer 3 only transmits the content transmission command to the address included in the command from the control point 1 as in the conventional case, but the command from the control point 1 includes the address of the DPS 27. Therefore, the media renderer 3 transmits a content transmission command to the DPS 27.

  When receiving the content transmission command from the media renderer 3, the DPS 27 recognizes the server address and port number included in the received DPS address. The DPS 27 transmits the content transmission command to the media server 2 by transmitting the content transmission command to the recognized server address (S8).

  Upon receiving the content transmission command from the DPS 27, the media server 2 refers to the server address included in the command, reads the selected content from the HDD 14, and transmits it to the DPS 27 in a streaming format (S9). The media server 2 only transmits the content specified by the server address to the device that has transmitted the content transmission command, but the DPS 27 transmits the content to the DPS 27 by transmitting the content transmission command. Can be sent.

  When the DPS 27 receives the content from the media server 2 in the streaming format, the SP 28 specified by the control point 1 (which SP is used is stored in the memory) is used to control the received content. The format is converted to the format specified by 1 (S10). For example, the DPS 27 converts the format of the received content from WMA to MP3. The DPS 27 transmits the format-converted content to the media renderer 3 by transmitting from the port of the port number recognized from the DPS address (S11).

  The media renderer 3 is waiting for transmission of the content from the port of the DPS 27 notified from the control point in S6, and receives and reproduces the content from the DPS 27 in the streaming format (S12).

  Through the above processing, when the control point 1 determines that format conversion is necessary, the processing of the DPS 27 is interrupted during the content transmission from the media server 2 to the media renderer 3, and the content format is converted by the DPS 27. Then, each device is controlled to transmit the content to the media renderer 3. As the media server 2 and the media renderer 3, those used in the conventional UPnP can be used as they are, and the above processing can be easily executed only by newly designing the control point 1 and the DPS 27.

[When signal processing (such as sound effect processing) is executed by the DPS 27]
When the content to be reproduced is selected by a user operation, it is possible to instruct the content to execute desired signal processing by the user operation. The control point 1 searches for the DPS 27 having the SP 28 that can execute the selected signal processing, causes the DPS 27 to execute the signal processing, and causes the media renderer 3 to reproduce the content.

  FIG. 6 is a sequence chart showing the operation of this example. Only the difference from FIG. 4 will be described. When the desired signal processing is selected by the user operation after the content is selected in S2, the control point 1 changes the SP 28 that can execute the selected signal processing to the DPS. The list is extracted with reference to the address, and the address of the DPS 27 is specified from the DPS list. The control point 1 transmits to the identified DPS 27 a content processing command including the ID of the SP 28 that is to execute signal processing on the content and the signal processing content (S31). The subsequent processing is the same as the embodiment of FIG. 4 except that the DPS 27 performs signal processing on the content instead of the format conversion (S32), and thus the description is omitted.

[When processing content with multiple DPS]
It is also possible to execute processing on the content with a plurality of DPSs (DPS 27A, DPS 27B) and transmit it to the media renderer 3. FIG. 7 is a sequence chart showing the processing of this example. For example, after the DPS 27A performs format conversion on the content, the DPS 27B performs signal processing on the content. In this case, DPS 27A is regarded as a media server for DPS 27B.

  Referring to FIG. 7, the processing from S1 to S5 is the same as each processing in FIG. 4 (DPS 27A transmits the port number to control point 1 after opening the port). Next, the control point 1 transmits a content processing command (including SP ID and signal processing content) to the DPS 27B (S41).

  Upon receiving the content processing command, the DPS 27B stores the SP 28 ID and the signal processing content in the memory, opens a port for outputting the content after the signal processing (S42), and controls the port number of the port. Transmit to point 1 (S43).

  When receiving the port number from the DPS 27B, the control point 1 transmits a content playback request including the address of the DPS 27B to the media renderer 3 to be played back (S44). As shown in FIG. 8, the address of DPS 27B includes the address of DPS 27A and the server address behind it.

  Upon receiving the content reproduction command, the media renderer 3 transmits a content transmission command including the DPS address of FIG. 8 to the DPS 27B address (S45). When the DPS 27B receives the content transmission command, the DPS 27B recognizes the address of the DPS 27A added to the received address of the DPS 27B, and transmits the content transmission command including the address of the DPS 27B to the address (S46). When receiving the content transmission command, the DPS 27A recognizes the server address added to the address of the DPS 27B, and transmits the content transmission command to the server address (S47).

  Upon receiving the content transmission command from the DPS 27A, the media server 2 reads the content from the HDD 14 and transmits it to the DPS 27A (S48). When receiving the content, the DPS 27A converts the format of the content (S49), and transmits it to the DPS 27B from the port of the port number added to the address of the DPS 27B (S50). Upon receiving the content, the DPS 27B performs signal processing on the content (S51) and transmits it to the media renderer 3 (S52). The media renderer 3 receives the content from the DPS 27B and reproduces it (S53).

  As described above, a plurality of DPSs 27 can execute processing on content and transmit it to the media renderer 3.

  As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment. For example, the content processing command transmitted from the control point 1 to the DPS 27 does not include the SP ID, and may include only the format before conversion and the format after conversion, or only the signal processing content. . Further, when only one SP can be executed in the DPS 27 and only one process can be executed, the content processing command transmitted from the control point 1 to the DPS 27 includes the SP ID, format, and signal processing content. It does not have to be. In addition, when there is only one DPS and only one process can be executed by the DPS, the control point 1 does not need to specify the DPS or SP. Although this example has been described with respect to music data, the same applies to video data and still image data. The media server, media renderer, and control point operation program may be provided.

  The present invention can be suitably employed for extending the functions of a content playback system that transmits content recorded on a media server to a playback device and plays back the content on the playback device.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a content reproduction system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating control points according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a content processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is a sequence chart which shows the process which performs a format conversion process to content and transmits to a reproducing | regenerating apparatus. It is a figure which shows the DPS address to which the server address was added. It is a sequence chart which shows the process which performs signal processing to a content, and transmits to a reproducing | regenerating apparatus. It is a sequence chart which shows the process which performs a format conversion and signal processing with respect to a content with a several content processing apparatus, and transmits to a reproducing | regenerating apparatus. It is a figure which shows the DPS address to which the server address was added.

Explanation of symbols

1 Control Point 2 Media Server 3 Media Renderer 4 Content Processing Device 27 DPS (Digital
Processing Service)
28 SP (Signal Processor)

Claims (5)

A server having a content recording unit for recording a plurality of contents, and means for transmitting the content recorded in the content recording unit in response to the request to the device that transmitted the request;
A controller having instruction means for instructing the reproduction apparatus to reproduce the selected content by designating a server address for the server to identify the selected content;
A playback apparatus having means for transmitting a content request including the address to the address specified by the instruction means, and means for playing back the received content;
A content processing device that executes processing on the content,
When the instruction means executes processing for content, the instruction means has means for designating the address of the content processing apparatus to which the server address is added instead of designating the server address to the playback apparatus,
The content processing device includes means for requesting content transmission to a server address included in the received address, and means for executing processing on the received content and transmitting the content to the reproduction device that is the content transmission request source. Playback system.   2. The content processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or a plurality of processing files can be embedded in the content processing apparatus, and a processing program for executing processing based on the processing file corresponding to the processing to be executed is installed. Content playback system.   Means for the controller to obtain processing file information relating to each processing file from the content processing device; means for specifying processing to be executed on the selected content; and processing files capable of executing the specified processing. 3. The content reproduction system according to claim 2, further comprising means for specifying based on file information and instructing the content processing apparatus to execute processing with the specified processing file. A first content processing device and a second content processing device, which are the content processing devices;
When executing processing on content, the instruction means, instead of designating the server address to the playback device, the address of the first content processing device and the server address of the second content processing device to which the server address is added. Having a means to specify an address;
The first content processing apparatus executes a process on the received content with the means for requesting the content transmission to the server address designated by the instruction means, and transmits to the second content processing apparatus that is the content transmission request source And means for
The second content processing device requests content transmission to the address of the first content processing device designated by the instruction means, and executes the processing on the received content, and the content transmission request source playback device The content reproduction system according to claim 1, further comprising: means for transmitting to the content. A controller identifying a content processing device that performs processing on the selected content;
Transmitting a processing request from the controller to the identified content processing device;
Transmitting a reproduction request including an address of the content processing device to which a server address for identifying a selected content from the controller is added to the reproduction device;
In response to the playback request, the playback device requests content transmission to the address of the content processing device included in the playback request;
In response to a request from the playback device, the content processing device requests content transmission to the server address;
Transmitting the selected content from the server to the content processing device in response to a request from the content processing device;
The content processing apparatus performing processing on the content received from the server;
Transmitting the processed content from the content processing device to the playback device;
The playback device receiving content from the content processing device;
A content reproduction method including the step of reproducing the received content by the reproduction device.

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