Apparatus for recording and reproducing variable length codes

A digital magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus which converts an input digital image signal into high efficiency codes and further into variable length codes and then records the thus obtained variable length codes, comprising:

• means for reducing the amount of data representing a predetermined period shorter than one frame period, which data is a variable length coding output, to an amount smaller than a predetermined amount;
• means for quantizing the image data converted into high efficiency codes with a particular quantization step;
• synchronizing block conversion means for converting the variable length coding output representing the predetermined period into a construction of synchronizing blocks defining the data area length of the synchronizing blocks so that the variable length coding output for the predetermined period whose data amount has been controlled is included in an integral number of synchronizing blocks;
• information addition means for adding information of the quantization step for each of the synchronizing blocks;
• and
• means for recording an integral number of units of the quantized image data onto a track of a recording medium and recording or reproducing a plurality of different digital signals, including video, audio, or advanced television system data in a spaced relationship from each other by a distance equal to an integral number times the synchronizing block length on the track of the recording medium, said plurality of different digital signals having a same synchronizing block length.