Production of prerecorded tape cassettes

A method of producing a cassette of pre-recorded magnetic tape, comprising the steps of:

• preparing a reel of magnetic tape recorded with a plurality of sets of programme signals each set followed by a recording of data signals representative of at least one characteristic of a set of preceding programme signals recorded on said tape,
• loading a length of said magnetic tape cut from said reel into a cassette so that said cassette contains tape recorded with at least one set of programme signals, and
• machine reading the recorded data associated with a programme recorded on said length of tape, and
• representing data machine-read from said tape as a visual display.

The method claim of 11 wherein said at least one characteristic of a set of program signals recorded on said tape is one of:

• the program identity,
• the program history,
• the program composition and
• a program duration in units of time.

A method of producing cassettes of magnetic tape recorded with programme material, comprising the steps of:

• preparing a reel of tape having a plurality of lengths recorded with programme signals intercalated with recorded data signals by transporting said video tape in a first tape transport direction, recording programme signals representing programme material along sections of tape while being transported in said first tape transport direction,
• recording data signals representing data related to said programme material immediately after recording the programme material to which said data signals relate, with said data signals being recorded between successive said programme signals while said tape is being transported in said first tape transport direction, said data signals being in a form such that when said tape is transported in a tape transport direction opposite said first tape transport direction said data signals are detectable by transducer means to generate signals representative of said programme material recorded on the immediately following section of tape,
• transferring said reel of tape to a cassette loader having a transducer responsive to said recorded data signals,
• transporting tape into a cassette shell on said cassette loader past said transducer,
• detecting said data signals with said transducer, and controlling the operation of said tape transport in dependence on signals generated by said transducer.

A method of producing recorded magnetic tape for subsequent loading into cassettes, comprising transporting said tape in a first tape transport direction, recording programme signals representing programme material along sections of tape while being transported in said first tape transport direction,

• recording data signals representing data related to said programme material immediately after recording the programme material to which said data signals relate, with said data signals being recorded between successive said programme signals while said tape is being transported in said first tape transport direction, said data signals being in a form such that when said tape is transported in a tape transport direction opposite said first tape transport direction said data signals are detectable by transducer means to generate signals representative of said programme material recorded on the immediately following section of tape, said data signals including information identifying the recording means by which said programme material is recorded onto said tape, and
• controlling the performance of a product sampling procedure on the basis of said recorded data signals, said product sampling procedure comprising the steps of:
• testing the quality of a sample of said recorded programme material, determining the history of said sample from a display of information represented by said recorded data signals at least in the event of unsatisfactory results from said testing, and
• directing a subsequent investigation into materials and equipment used in the production of said sample under test on the basis of said displayed information.

Apparatus for producing cassette or recorded tape comprising:

• means for generating program signals,
• recording transducer means,
• means for feeding said program signals to said recording transducer means,
• means for generating data signals,
• means for supplying said data signals to said recording transducer means,
• tape transport means for transporting magnetic tape to be recorded past said recording transducer means, and control means connected to said program signal generator and to said at a signal generator and operative to control energisation of said transducer means whereby to recorded data signals and related program signals in sequence along said tape,
• means for winding said tape onto open spools after recording,
• a transducer sensitive to said recorded data signals and operative to generate electrical signals in response thereto,
• cassette loading means having a
• cassette loading station,
• a cassette rack operable to deliver empty cassettes to said cassette loading station, and
• cassette identification means operative in response to said electrical signals generated by the said transducer to provide visible indicia representative of the program identified by the said data signal.