A method for operating an optical disk player, having a memory for storing at least one frame of a video signal, under control of a programmable system controller. The disk player may be operated to set the apparatus in a pause mode at the very beginning of the desired program area on the disk. The disk player also may be operated to produce still pictures from information stored in the memory, rather than directly from the disk. The disk player can be controlled to return to a last scene that was viewed by utilizing signals uniquely identifying the particular disk and particular address on the disk where the last scene was recorded. The disk player can be operated to retrieve a last scene in response to the duration of disk reproduction time that was passed.