Edit seaming in a video data recording/reproducing apparatus

During recording and reproducing and reproducing, a method of seaming first and second video data segments onto and from a linearly displaceable video recording medium, said first and second video data segments each including at least one video data portion having a pair of video data portion edges, said method comprising:

• a) driving each video data portion into low frequency and high frequency data portions;
• and
• b) storing each divided video data portion on a plurality of consecutive tracks including a pair of edge tracks on the linearly displaceable video recording medium while storing only said high frequency data portions on at least one edge track, said step b) including,
• i) recording said first video data segment on said linearly displaceable video recording medium, and
• ii) recording said second video data segment on said linearly displaceable video recording medium with the edges of said video data portions of said video second data segment being in substantial alignment with the edges of said video data portions of said first video data segment at a seam between said first and second video data segments;
• conditions caused by slight misalignment of the edges of said video portions of said first and second video data segments in said step b)ii) causing loss of at most said high frequency data portion located on an edge track immediately adjacent said seam, thereby losing only high frequency video information in the video portions immediately adjacent the seam;
• c) reproducing the high frequency and low frequency data portions of said video data portions stored in said step b);
• d) determining a number of errors in each high frequency data portion containing edge track reproduced in said step c);
• e) deleting the high frequency data portion stored in a said edge track where said number of errors determined by said step d) exceeds a threshold value;
• and
• f) combining the low frequency data portion and any high frequency data portion of each said video data portion to recover the stored first and second video data segments.

An apparatus for seaming first and second video data segments during recording onto a linearly displaceable video recording medium, said first and second video data segments each including at least one video data portion having a pair of video data portion edges, said apparatus comprising:

• a data divider dividing each video data portion into low frequency and high frequency data portions;
• and
• modulator means, responsive to output of said data divider, for storing each divided video data portion on a plurality of consecutive tracks including a pair of edge tracks on the linearly displaceable video recording medium while storing only said high frequency data portions on at least one edge track;
• said modulator means recording said first video data segment on said linearly displaceable video recording medium, recording said second video data segment on said linearly displaceable video recording medium with the edges of said video data portions of said second video data segment being in substantial alignment with the edges of said video data portions of said first video data segment at a seam between said first and second video data segments;
• conditions caused by slight misalignment of the edges of said video data portions of said first and second video data segments stored by said modulator means causing loss of at most said high frequency data portion located on an edge track immediately adjacent said seam, thereby losing only high frequency video information in the video portions immediately adjacent the seam.

A recording and reproducing apparatus which seams first and second video data segments during recordation onto and reproduction from a linearly displaceable video recording medium, said first and second video data segments each including at least one video data portion having a pair of video data portion edges, said apparatus comprising:

• a data divider dividing each video data portion into low frequency and high frequency data portions;
• and
• modulator means, responsive to output of said data divider, for storing each divided video data portion on a plurality of consecutive tracks including a pair of edge tracks on the linearly displaceable video recording medium while storing only said high frequency data portions on at least one edge track;
• said modulator means recording said first video data segment on said linearly displaceable video recording medium, recording said second video data segment on said linearly displaceable video recording medium with the edges of said video data portions of said second video data segment being in substantial alignment with the edges of said video data portions of said first video data segment at a seam between said first and second video data segments;
• conditions caused by slight misalignment of the edges of said video data portions of said first and second video data segments when recorded by said modulator means causing loss of at most said high frequency data portions located on an edge track immediately adjacent said seam, thereby losing only high frequency video information in video portions immediately adjacent the seam;
• demodulator means for reproducing the high frequency and low frequency data portions of said video data portions stored in said memory medium;
• an error counter determining a number of errors in each high frequency data portion containing edge track reproduced by said demodulator means;
• means, responsive to said error counter, for deleting the high frequency data portions stored in a said edge track where said number of errors determined by said error counter exceeds a threshold value;
• and
• means for combining the low frequency data portions any high frequency data portions of each said video data portion to recover the stored first and second video data segments.