Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Video Engineering, Incorporated

Yukio Nishimura

Masaharu Kobayashi

A rotary-head type magnetic tape recorder for recording a video signal and an audio signal on a magnetic tape by means of a rotary head controlled on the basis of the video signal. Difference is determined between a rate at which the digital audio signal is recorded on the recording medium and which is determined by the video signal and a rate of input data determined by a sampling frequency of the audio signal for a number N of samples of the digital signal to be included within one field period synchronized with the video signal. The number of samples for one field of input data is set by preparing on the basis of the result of detection of the difference in rate a first field containing a number of samples greater than the number N within and a second field containing a number of samples smaller than the number N. Blocks for recording the PCM audio signal on the recording medium are prepared by adding a first error detection/ correction code to the audio signal for every n symbols, while the symbols are imparted with amounts of delay differing from one another and subjected to diagonal incomplete interleave for thereby adding a second error detection/correction code. After addition of a block synchronizing signal, recording is performed on the tape. By adopting the variable fields, matching can be attained between the asynchronous audio and video signal fields. Reproduction capability notwithstanding of burst error is enhanced by incomplete diagonal interleave. Difference in time lag between the video signal and the audio signal involved in the reproduction thereof can be suppressed to a minimum.

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Kamakura, Japan

Yukio Nishimura