An information receiving apparatus instructs a storage device to be ready to perform a downloading operation. For example, the information receiving apparatus instructs the storage device to perform a setup for a recording wait status when the information receiving apparatus has the storage device start the downloading mode, and instructs to start and stop recording on a recording device by detecting the start and stop timing of recording data which a data transmitting section transmits. The information receiving apparatus also requests the storage device to report an operation condition at the storage device during the downloading mode. The information receiving apparatus determines a downloading-operation condition according to the operation-condition report sent from the storage device and appropriately controls the downloading operation.