A data accessing and reproducing apparatus and method that permits a user to selected desired video clips and perform editing on the clips such that the time needed to display a thumbnail representation is minimized. In an edit mode, thumbnail pictures are arranged and displayed in the order of which edit results are reproduced. These thumbnails may be, for example, a lower resolution, proxy representation of the audio or video data. When data of thumbnail pictures are read from a disc, the data are read in the order of which they have been recorded. The order of which thumbnail pictures are displayed on the screen is different from the order of which they are arranged on the screen, and thus, the seek time for the disc becomes the shortest. Thus, the thumbnail pictures can be displayed at high speed.