Apparatus for recording and reproducing digital information signals of different transmission rates

Abstract

In a digital information recording and reproducing apparatus of a rotary magnetic head type for selecting and recording a plurality of digital information signals having different transmission rates and for selectively reproducing the recorded signal, a high-rate digital information signal and a low-rate digital information signal are inputted for selection of either one thereof to be converted by a recording-system encoder into two channels of recording signals. When recording the high-rate signal, the rotary drum is turned at a rotation speed and the magnetic tape is fed at a feed speed (V ) to conduct 4-track azimuth recording of the signals for each rotation of the rotary drum by the first to fourth magnetic heads. To record the low-rate signal, the rotary drum is turned at a rotation speed substantially equal to the first rotation speed and the magnetic tape is fed at a feed speed almost equal to (V /N) so as to achieve 4-track azimuth recording of record signals compressed on a time axis to 1/N of the original signals for every N rotations of the rotary drum by the magnetic heads. A reproducing system receives two channels of signals reproduced by the first to fourth magnetic heads and conducts for the signals such processes reverse to those of the encoding process of the recording system.