According to one embodiment, a playback apparatus includes a multimedia processor configured to allocate a first stream buffer area in a first memory for storing a encoded video data, and includes a decoder configured to decode the encoded video data, a main processor configured to execute a decoding program application for decoding the encoded video data, and to execute a switching program application configured to switch a destination where the decoding is executed between the multimedia processor and the decoding program application such that a picture group which is a unit for managing the encoded video data is not separately supplied to two destinations, in response to a switching request, wherein the decoding program application is configured to allocate a second stream buffer area in a second memory for storing the encoded video data and a decoding buffer area in the second memory for storing data related to decoding.