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

Abstract

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.