A read unit 201 reads a digital stream that includes a left-view video stream and a right-view video stream from a recording medium. A mode storage unit 203 stores either a 3D mode to show a user video frames in stereoscopic view or a 2D mode to show a user video frames in monoscopic view as a playback mode of the apparatus. A dimension determining unit 202 determines whether the digital stream read from the recording medium supports 3D mode. When (i) the digital stream supports 3D mode and (ii) the current playback mode is 3D mode, a demultiplexer 204 separates the left-view video stream and the right-view video stream from the digital stream, and when condition (i) or (ii) is not met, the demultiplexer 204 separates either the left-view video stream or the right-view video stream from the digital stream.