Video tape recorder having picture-in-picture function

Abstract

A video tape recorder is associated with a monitor to provide sub-picture images at portions of the monitor screen for use in editing a recorded tape by inserting an input video signal. First and second memories are provided with respective capacities sufficient to store a field or frame of a video signal reproduced from the tape or of an input video signal, and writing and reading of the memories are controlled to provide sub-picture signals for display at the respective portions of the monitor screen. When playback or playback-pause modes are selected, one of the sub-picture screen portions displays the reproduced video signal as a moving picture or as a still picture, respectively. Upon change-over to the recording-pause mode, one of the sub-picture screen portions continues to display a still picture of the reproduced video signal at the moment of selection of the playback-pause mode and which may be the selected edit-in point, and the other sub-picture screen portions displays the input video signal as a moving picture so as to facilitate determining the point at which change-over to the recording mode is effected for recording the input video signal in place of the video signal previously recorded on the tape.