The invention relates generally to an apparatus and a method for receiving and processing information, and for adapting the operational characteristics of the processing in response to material included in the received information. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and a method embodying a software-controlled process which adapts or modifies the software in response to the received information. Although the invention has many applications, the invention is more particularly described in connection with a motion picture application in which film stock carries a conventional analog SVA soundtrack and a digital soundtrack with a digital representation of the software required to properly process the digital soundtrack. An apparatus and a method according to one embodiment establishes what version of software is required to properly process the digital soundtrack, optionally modifies its sofware from information carried with the digital soundtrack if the current version on hand is not appropriate, and uses the updated version of software to process the digital soundtrack on the remainder of the current film and other future films until such time as another software update is required.