Helical scan type magnetic tape reproduction apparatus and magnetic tape reproduction method

A helical scan type magnetic tape reproduction apparatus, comprising:

• a helical scan type reproduction head mounted at an end of an actuator and capable of moving, in order to successively scan tracks on a magnetic tape, in the track widthwise direction by displacement of said actuator itself;
• target time decision means for measuring, in a non-tracking servo traveling state of the magnetic tape and in a traveling speed state of the magnetic tape displaced a little from a reproduction traveling speed, a period of time from a reference point of time with regard to each of a plurality of markers recorded in a dispersed relationship at predetermined positions on the tracks in advance to the marker by a predetermined number of times, averaging the measurement time periods of the markers obtained by the predetermined number of times of measurement and storing the average time periods with regard to the markers as target time periods;
• and
• tracking control means for measuring actual time periods from the reference time points with regard to the markers in a tracking servo traveling state of the magnetic tape and performing updating control of a control voltage to be applied to said actuator for said reproduction head in accordance with time information of the differences between the target time periods and the actual time periods.