A video signal reproducing apparatus for high-speed playback comprises a fixed head mounted on a rotary head drum, and a movable head supported on the head drum so as to lag the fixed head by a predetermined phase, and mounted on a bimorph plate so that the position of the movable head can be controlled transversely of a skew track on a magnetic tape. A delay circuit matches the phases of the signals reproduced by the fixed and movable heads, and in dependence on the levels of the reproduced signals the scanning path of the movable head is adjusted relative to the scanning path of the fixed head such that a reduction in one reproduced signal level causes an increase in the other reproduced signal level when the reproduced signals are phase-matched. The output is then complemented by at all times selecting the higher level reproduced signal with a selection switch.
A video reproducing apparatus is provided for reproducing at a high speed a video signal from a recorded magnetic tape with the use of a field memory for storing video signal in which the writing in and reading out timing of the video signal for the field memory is changed in accordance with the variation of the envelope signal of the video signal extracted by an envelope detector.
An automatic tracking apparatus for use in a video tape recorder including a magnetic head mounted on a piezo-electric element. The automatic tracking apparatus includes a driving pulse generator which generates a driving pulse signal causing the piezo-electric element to drive the magnetic head. The driving pulse signal has a waveform including a jumping portion causing the magnetic head to jump from one recording track to another recording track, which generates ringing vibrations in the piezo-electric element in a change-speed reproduction mode. An inflection point is imposed on the jumping portion of the driving pulse signal waveform. The position of the inflection point is determined in accordance with the amplitude level of the ringing vibrations so as to minimize the amplitude level of the ringing vibrations.
In the disclosed reproducing apparatus a detector detects that a reproducing head is properly positioned relative to selected one of recording tracks on the recording medium and a control responsive to the detecting means enables an output arrangement to put out an information signal reproduced by the head when the detector detects that the head is properly positioned relative to the selected track. This allows a display device to display the reproduced information when the head is properly positioned relative to the selected track.
In a video tape recorder of the helical scan type, two auxiliary magnetic heads having different azimuth angles are provided in the vicinity of two main magnetic heads. The main and auxiliary magnetic heads have their tracks aligned so as to compensate for the reduced period of the reproduction signal of the main magnetic heads during high speed reproduction by using the reproduction signals of the auxiliary magnetic heads. Thus, blur free high speed reproduction pictures may be realized, and, at the same time, a dancing picture correction during still reproduction may be facilitated.
In a recording medium playback device, such as a tape recorder, the playback speed is changed from the speed used during recording but the sounds and voices being reproduced can be listened to at the normal pitch, as if the playback tape speed was the same as the recording speed. A frequency generator (FG) system is not required and the playback signal is converted in pitch based on a capstan motor drive signal that is converted to a voltage value and that controls a pitch converting circuit. Alternatively, the pitch converting circuit is controlled by a signal derived from a speed control system, whereby the capstan motor speed is controlled by the user of the tape recorder. By converting the pitch of the playback signal in this way a recording of a conference, for example, can be scanned at high speed yet the reproduced voices are provided with a normal pitch.
