U.S. Philips Corporation

Polygram International Holding B.v.

Polygram Internat. Holding B.v.

Polygram International Holding

Johannes J Roering

Jozef M Duurland

Willem L Van Der Kruk

Gerardus C Lokhoff

An arrangement for reading a digital audio signal from a master medium (7) and storing it in a digital storage medium (10, 90, 90') at a first bit rate in a first step, and for repeatedly reading the digital audio signal from the storage medium and recording the digital audio signal on a recording medium (20') at a second bit rate in a second step. The digital storage medium is adapted to store a digital information signal which is a representation of a first music program (M1) and a digital information signal which is a representation of a second music program (M2). The arrangement (FIG. 1b) is further adapted to repeatedly read the digital information signal representing the first music program from the digital storage medium while reading the digital information signal representing the second music program into the digital storage medium in the second step.

Arrangement for obtaining prerecorded digital music cassettes

A prerecorded tape-like magnetic record carrier has, on an A and a B side, a number of adjacent tracks (T.sub.a.1 to T.sub.a.n, T.sub.b.1 to T.sub.b.n) running in a longitudinal direction on the record carrier, the tracks on the A side, viewed in the play direction of the A side, having a lead-in (LI), an information area (IA) in which music programs are recorded on the A side, and a lead-out (LO), the tracks on the B side, viewed in the play direction of the B side, having a lead-in (LI), an information area (IB) in which music programs are recorded on the B side, and a lead-out (LO). The information areas on the A and B sides include frames ( . . . , FR.sub.j-1, FR.sub.j, FR.sub.j+i, . . . ) of an essentially fixed length in which digital audio information representing the music programs are recorded. The lead-ins on the A and B sides include frames with lead-in information, these frames having a length essentially equal to the length of the frames in the information areas. The lead-outs on the A and B sides include frames with lead-out information, these frames having a length likewise essentially equal to the length of the frames in the information areas. The end of the information area in a track (T.sub.a.i) on the A side, viewed in the play direction of the A side, is located past the beginning of the information area in a track (T.sub.b.j) on the B side, in such a way that X lead-in frames, where for X it holds that 1.ltoreq.X.ltoreq.24, are located in the section of the lead-in of said track (T.sub.b.j) on the B side between the end of the information area in the track (T.sub.a.i) on the A side and the beginning of the information area in the track on the B side.

Prerecorded record carrier

A digital audio signal is reproduced from a master medium (7) and stored in a digital storage medium (10, 90, 90') at a specific first bit rate, after which it is read from the digital storage medium and recorded on a recording medium at a second bit rate. The digital audio signal, in the form of a first digital information signal having channel words of n data bits, is stored in a track (Ta.i) on the master medium. This signal is converted in an n-m demodulator (9, 15), the n-bit channel words being converted into m-bit information words, where n&gt;m. After this the signal is stored in the digital storage medium (90, 90') as a second digital information signal. After read out from the storage medium (90, 90') the second digital information signal is converted into a third digital information signal, which substantially corresponds to the first digital information signal, in an m-n modulator (11, 36), in whcih the m-bit information words are reconverted into n-bit channel words. This enables the storage capacity of the digital storage medium to be reduced.

Method of and arrangement for obtaining prerecorded digital music

A copying apparatus (1) for copying a magnetic pattern from a master magnetic tape (5) on a duplicate magnetic tape (6) comprises two facing elongate platens (9, 10) having mutually parallel gap sides (9A, 10A) which bound a gap (13). Copying means (20) are provided to promote the signal transfer from the master to the duplicate magnetic tape. In the gap sides (9A, 10A) of the platens (9, 10) passages (18) are arranged, through which passages a pressurized fluid is fed into the gap (13), so that the tapes are intimately pressed against one another inside the gap (13). In the gap sides (9A, 10A) expulsion means (16A, 10E, 10K, 23) are provided to expel air present between the tapes, the expulsion means in each gap side, in a view at the gap side, being arranged in at least one V-shape having an axis of symmetry which extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the platens (9, 10), at least a number of the passages being situated within the outline of the V-shape.

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Baarn, Netherlands

Johannes J Roering