PURPOSE: To provide a data recording and reproducing device which can use effectively and efficiently the limited recording capacity of recording media.
CONSTITUTION: A RAM 4 to store input data A and a RAM 6 to store the compressed data B for which the compressing processing is performed are provided, a comparator 5 compares the data capacity of the input data A and the data capacity of the compressed data B, and the smaller data of the data capacity are recorded to recording and reproducing media 8. Thus, by performing the compressing processing, it can be prevented that the compressed data B for which the data capacity is increased are recorded to the recording and reproducing media 8 and the recording capacity of the recording and reproducing media 8 can be effectively and efficiently used.