Secam recording and reproducing system

Abstract

Apparatus for recording and/or reproducing a SECAM composite color television signal in parallel tracks on a record medium. The luminance and chrominance components of the SECAM television signal are separated from each other, and then the luminance component is modulated to a higher frequency range while the chrominance component is frequency-converted to a lower frequency range. These frequency-modified components are recombined and recorded. In frequency-converting the chrominance component, first and second frequency-converting carrier signals are generated, and the phases of these frequency-converting signals are synchronized, or locked, to the incoming SECAM television signal so as to exhibit corresponding phase changes. When these frequency-converting signals are used to frequency-convert the chrominance component of the SECAM television signal, the resultant frequency-converted chrominance components are recorded in at least one track with a substantially constant phase and in the next adjacent track with a frequency-converted sub-carrier which differs from that of the said one track. The recorded frequency-converted sub-carrier frequencies in adjacent tracks are in frequency interleaved relation with respect to each other. In one embodiment of the recording apparatus, the frequencies of the frequency-converting signals differ from each other by n/4fh, wherein n is an integer (preferably 1) and fh is the horizontal line frequency of the SECAM television signal. In this embodiment, the phase of the recorded chrominance subcarrier is constant for all tracks.