A recording and playback apparatus capable of recording and playing back a content downloaded from a server, includes a recording unit configured to download the content with a playback time limit, stored in a server and record the content to a recording medium, an instruction receiver configured to receive an instruction for starting playback of the content, a playback unit configured to play back the content recorded in the recording medium in accordance with the instruction received by the instruction receiver, and a warning output unit configured to output warning information related to the playback time limit of the content before the playback unit stars playback of the content, when the instruction receiver receives the instruction for starting playback of the content during download of the content.