A hardware apparatus having video/audio encoding function and multiplexing function, and method thereof

A hardware device having video/audio data encoding and multiplexing functions and a method of operating the hardware device are provided to process video data and audio data such that the video data and the audio data are perfectly synchronized with each other. A video/audio data processing apparatus includes a video signal acquisition unit for receiving a video signal from a video signal input unit and converting the video signal into digital video data, an audio signal acquisition unit for receiving an audio signal from an audio signal input unit and converting the audio signal into digital audio data, a time information processor for receiving a clock signal for synchronizing the digital video data with the digital audio data, and a video signal encoder for encoding the digital video data. The apparatus further includes an audio signal encoder for encoding the digital audio data, a multiplexer for receiving the encoded video signal and the encoded audio signal from the video signal encoder and the audio signal encoder and converting the received signals into single bit stream data, and an output unit for outputting the bit stream data.