Apparatus for recording and reproducing a video signal and for recording and reproducing a PCM audio signal on forward and reverse tape travelling directions

An apparatus for recording and reproducing a video signal and for recording and reproducing a PCM audio signal in forward and reverse tape traveling directions by a multichannel PCM method, wherein a recording track which is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the tape traveling direction is formed by a rotary magnetic head, and a video signal is recorded on a main section of said recording track during a video recording mode, and a PCM audio signal is recorded on a pluraity of tracks obtained by dividing said main section of said recording track during a multichannel PCM mode, said apparatus comprising:

• means for choosing the tape traveling direction to travel in a forward or reverse direction at every track of said pluraity of tracks so that the PCM audio signal is recorded on and reproduced from each of said plurality of tracks in the forward or reverse tape traveling direction;
• means for generating a signal representing conditions set at the time of recording including at least the traveling direction of the magnetic tape at the time of recording;
• means for discriminating during reproduction the recording conditions from the signal representing the recording conditions;
• and
• control means for setting conditions at the time of reproduction on the basis of the discriminated recording conditions;
• wherein at the time of recording, the signal representing recording conditions is recorded on the same track as the track on which said PCM audio signal is recorded, and at the time of reproduction, reproduction conditions are set to be the same as the recording conditions in accordance with the signal representing recording conditions reproduced.