A characteristics corrector in a video signal processing system is described for correcting characteristics of the video signal processing system at the time of recording and/or reproducing a video signal. The corrector includes a reference pulse generating circuit for generating reference pulses of varying amplitude corresponding to gradations from a black level to a white level of a video signal to be recorded during a blanking period of the video signal to be recorded. It further includes a pulse amplitude data generating circuit for generating quantified data used for the discrimination of the amplitudes of the reference pulses. Also, a reference data interleaving circuit is included for interleaving, as a reference data, the reference pulses and pulse amplitude data indicative of the amplitudes thereof during the blanking period. Finally, a level correcting circuit is included for correcting the level of a reproduced video signal by the utilization of a plurality of reference pulses and pulse amplitude data obtained from the reproduced video signal.