Sony Corporation

Shoji Nemoto

Noboru Murabayashi

Hiroshi Yoshioka

Yukihiko Machida

Masayasu Kaneko

A recording format discriminating apparatus for use on a video tape recorder capable of reproducing a signal recorded on a recording medium in a digital recording format or an analog recording format by one and same head rotary system or a plurality of head rotary systems dedicated to analog recording and digital recording respectively. The apparatus comprises: an amplifier, having a capability of automatically controlling a gain of a signal reproduced by one of the head rotary systems, for amplifying the signal to a predetermined level; a first band extracting circuit for extracting a particular narrow frequency band from the amplified signal; a first comparator and detector for detecting by amplification an output of the first band extracting circuit and comparing the detected output with a first reference value; a second comparator and detector for integrating and holding the comparison result output of the first comparator and detector and then comparing the integrated output with a second reference value; and a recording format discriminating circuit for discriminating the recording format of the signal recorded on the recording medium from the comparison result output of the second comparator and detector.

Video signal processing apparatus

In an apparatus for slow-motion reproduction of a video signal having successive field thereof, along with respective pilot signals, recorded in successive oblique tracks on a magnetic tape, a tracking error signal is based on the pilot signals reproduced from the magnetic tape, a capstan motor intermittently transports the tape between a first rest position, in which a field segment of the video signal is repeatedly reproduced from an initial one of alternate oblique tracks, rest position, to a second in which another field segment of the video signal is repeatedly reproduced from the next one of the alternate oblique tracks. A circuit controls a driving circuit for the capstan motor so that the transportation of the magnetic tape from the first to second rest position is responsive to the tracking error signal obtained in the first rest position, that is, prior to transportation of the magnetic tape.

Apparatus for reproducing video signals as slow-motion pictures

In a video signal recording and/or reproducing apparatus including four magnetic heads mounted on a rotary drum for forming four parallel recording tracks in a repeating sequence on a recording medium with each track having an azimuth gap angle different from the azimuth gap angles of the next adjacent tracks; pilot signals having different frequencies are recorded in a superimposed manner upon the information signals recorded by the four magnetic heads, respectively, and, upon reproducing, tracking control is effected so as to ensure that the magnetic heads which recorded the pilot signals with different respective frequencies are used to reproduce the signals recorded in the respective recording tracks so that a period of a timing signal, for example, a horizontal synchronizing signal, contained in the reproduced signal will not be disturbed upon switching from one to another of the magnetic heads in the reproducing mode.

Video signal recording and/or reproducing apparatus

In tape transport apparatus for use with an 8-mm video tape recorder having an automatic track following system, during reproduction at a variable tape speed, a tracking error signal formed on the basis of a frequency component of a reproduced pilot signal is sampled and held once per one field. The sampled and held output is compared with a reference value, the running state of the tape is positively identified on the basis of the comparison, and tracking control responsive to the identified running state is carried out. The apparatus has the additional capability of skipping pilot signal frequencies in a quasi-locked state to assist in obtaining a locked state.

Tracking control apparatus using pilot signals of different frequencies

Apparatus for controlling tracking position of a magnetic head for reproducing signals recorded as a series of slanted parallel tracks on a magnetic tape, the parallel tracks contain a video signal and a pilot signal of mutually different frequencies that change cyclically from track-to-track. A reference pilot signal having the same frequency as the frequency of the pilot signal reproduced from the track is generated, and the frequency of the reference pilot signal associated with one track is subtracted from the frequency of the pilot signals reproduced from the tracks adjacent the one track, so as to produce a control signal indicative of head displacement relative to the one track to be reproduced. In a still picture reproducing mode, first and second reference pilot signals are alternately generated that have the same frequency as the pilot signals that were recorded in the pair of tracks to be reproduced in the still picture mode.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Shoji Nemoto