Color video signal recording and reproducing apparatus providing

Abstract

The present invention departs from conventional concepts, involving the use of magnetic tape or the like, of color video signal recording by providing video signal recording and reproducing apparatus in which preferential dropout compensation is obtained without the use of special dropout compensation circuitry. A color video signal is down-converted in frequency to produce a video signal of a recordable frequency range with picture information at relatively low frequencies and color and sound information at relatively higher frequencies, respectively. Dropouts, therefore, affect the sound information first, the color information second, and the picture information last, as is preferable. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, time base error correction is obtained without the use of time base error correction circuitry by separating the luminance and chrominance signals and so down-converting each signal to a recordable frequency range that the luminance carrier and the chrominance carrier have the same frequency. Upon recording and playing back, time base variations, as may be caused by tape flutter, will then affect both carriers equally. After up-converting and recombining the luminance and chrominance signals to form the original video signal, the frequency spacing between the luminance carrier and the chrominance carrier will be independent of time base variations in the recording process and, therefore, have the same frequency spacing as the original video signal.