Sony Corporation

Shinji Kakuyama

Hajime Inoue

Susumu Nagano

Sunao Furui

Toshimitsu Kamai

Kiyoshi Shimizu

Takashi Kono

Shoji Hagita

In a broadcast-program selection history information acquisition apparatus and its method, the totalization side can easily totalize selection history information. To acquire the selection history information of a broadcast program selected out of broadcast programs of a plurality of channels, the selection information of the broadcast program is stored at a predetermined acquisition timing and the selection history information which is composed of a plurality of pieces of selection information stored every plurality of acquisition timings is transmitted to a notification destination at a predetermined transmission timing.

Broadcast-program selection history information acquisition apparatus and its method

A television receiver apparatus has large versatility to adapt itself to newly offered services or new modes of use. An external memory element loaded with a flash memory is connected to the receiver apparatus through an external memory interface having a connector and an interface circuit. The external memory element stores information such as a program for implementing an additional function or data such as video and audio data. The information stored in the external memory element is taken up by the receiver apparatus through the external memory interface. The information from the external memory element is processed by a controlling portion of the receiver apparatus so as to be subjected to use.

Television broadcast receiving system

A continuous both-side playback type video disc apparatus having an external command signal generator for generating an external command signal to an external recorder in response to a playback start signal or a lead-in or lead-out track detection signal obtained from a signal reading head, and also an external command signal output terminal for supplying the external command signal therefrom. Synchronized operation control is executed in such a manner that, upon completion of playing back one side of a disc, the recording operation of the external recorder is temporarily brought to a halt by a pause signal at the instant of detection of the lead-out track by the signal reading head, and after proceeding to playback of the other side of the disc, the recording operation is resumed at the instant of detection of the lead-in track on the other side of the disc by the signal reading head. The known operational intricacy in a dubbing mode can be diminished, and the conventional drawbacks are eliminated, including inclusive of partial signal dropouts induced in proceeding from one side of the disc to the other side and also any wasteful recording space that may otherwise result from the existence of no-signal portions.

Continuous both-side playback type video disc apparatus

A PCM (pulse code modulated) audio signal recording and/or reproducing apparatus, operates with plural scanning periods, in which a rotary head scans obliquely the longitudinal direction of a tape, and which scanning periods are separated into a plurality of segment periods. PCM audio signals are recorded on one or more channels of a plurality of track channels, formed by the alignment of respective segment tracks which are scanned by the rotary head during the corresponding segment periods of each scanning period, and an identifying signal, indicative of the fact that the PCM audio signals is already recorded, is superimposed upon the PCM audio signal and recorded together therewith on the track channels, whereby it becomes possible to easily identify whether or not the PCM audio signal is recorded on the of track channels.

PCM audio signal recording and/or reproducing apparatus with

Drop-outs are detected and compensated for in an apparatus for reproducing video and audio signals that have been recorded as first and second mixed signals in adjacent first and second parallel tracks, respectively, on a magnetic record medium such as a tape and in which each of the mixed signals is comprised of a video signal mixed with at least one frequency modulated audio signal, in the case of monaural, having a respective carrier frequency. The recorded mixed signals are reproduced by two magnetic heads that scan the adjacent first and second tracks to reproduce alternately the mixed signals recorded thereon, and drop-outs are detected in the reproduced signals. The audio signals are separated from the reproduced mixed signals, frequency demodulated and combined to form a substantially continuous or reconstituted demodulated audio signal. A compensator is provided in the demodulated audio line and is responsive to the detection of drop-outs by a detector therefor to produce a substantially continuous demodulated audio signal, in which drop-outs are compensated. A second dropout compensator is provided for compensating the video signal for dropouts and the second dropout compensator is located in the line carrying the luminance component of the video signal and is responsive to the original drop-out detector output derived from the reproduced signals. The drop-out detector may be responsive to the reproduced mixed signals either prior to combining into a signal or subsequent to such combining. Still further, the drop-out detection may be responsive to drop-outs in the frequency modulated audio signals after the latter have been separated from the reproduced mixed signals.

Apparatus for detecting and compensating drop-outs in an audio and video

A video and audio signal recording apparatus includes first and second frequency-modulators in which a first audio signal, for example, a stereophonic left signal, modulates a first carrier and a second carrier with a frequency higher than that of the first carrier so as to provide first and second FM audio signals, respectively, third and fourth frequency-modulators in which a second audio signal, for example, the stereophonic right signal, modulates a third carrier with a frequency higher than that of the second carrier and a fourth carrier with a frequency higher than that of the third carrier so as to provide third and fourth FM audio signals, respectively, a first mixing circuit for mixing the first and third FM audio signals with a video signal, such as, a composite color video signal having a frequency modulated luminance component signal in a frequency band separated from the band of a frequency-converted chrominance component signal so as to provide an interval therebetween for accommodating the first through fourth FM audio signals, a second mixing circuit for mixing the second and fourth FM audio signals with the video signal, and first and second magnetic heads having different azimuth angles and respectively receiving first and second mixed audio and video signals from the first and second mixing circuits, respectively, for recording of such first and second mixed signals in record tracks which are adjacent each other on a magnetic record medium.

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Tokyo, Japan

Shinji Kakuyama