Digital signal recording/reproducing apparatus capable of recording sequence signals in slanted and longitudinal tracks on a magnetic tape

In an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing digital audio and video signals in slanted tracks on a magnetic tape, and wherein an integral number of samples of said digital audio signals forming a unit thereof are allocated to a plurality of fields of said digital video signals, said apparatus comprising:

• sequence signal forming means for forming sequence signals indicating the units of said digital audio signals on the basis of said fields of said digital video signals;
• longitudinal track recording means for recording said sequence signals in a longitudinal track on said magnetic tape;
• slanted track recording means for recording said sequence signals in the slanted tracks in which said digital audio signals are recorded;
• longitudinal track reproducing means for reproducing said sequence signals from said longitudinal track;
• slanted track reproducing means for reproducing the recorded digital audio signals and said sequence signals from said slanted tracks;
• error rate detection means for detecting an error rate of the sequence signals reproduced from said longitudinal track and an error rate of the sequence signals reproduced with the digital audio signals from said slanted tracks;
• and
• selection means for selecting the sequence signals reproduced from said longitudinal track or the sequence signals reproduced from said slanted tracks based on whether said error rate detection means detects a lower error rate of the reproduced sequence signals from said longitudinal track or from said slanted tracks, respectively,
• said apparatus including an editing mode having a preparatory running period for editing said digital audio signals recorded on said magnetic tape, wherein, upon establishment of said editing mode, said sequence signals are reproduced during said preparatory running period by said longitudinal and slanted track reproducing means and the sequence signals reproduced by either the longitudinal or slanted track reproducing means having the lower detected error rate are selected by said selection means and supplied to said longitudinal and slanted track recording means through said sequence signal forming means.

In an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing digital audio and video signals in slanted tracks on a magnetic tape, and wherein an integral number of samples of said digital audio signals forming a unit thereof are allocated to a plurality of fields of said digital video signals and sequence signals are recorded in both a longitudinal track and said slanted tracks on said magnetic tape for indicating the units of said digital audio signals on the basis of said fields of said digital video signals, said apparatus comprising

• longitudinal track reproducing means for reproducing said sequence signals from said longitudinal track,
• slanted track reproducing means for reproducing the recorded digital audio signals and said sequence signals from said slanted tracks,
• error rate detection means for detecting an error rate of the sequence signals reproduced from said longitudinal track and an error rate of the sequence signals reproduced with the digital audio signals from said slanted tracks, and
• selection means for selecting the sequence signals reproduced from said longitudinal track or the sequence signals reproduced from said slanted tracks
• based on whether said error rate detection means detects a lower error rate of the sequence signals reproduced from said longitudinal track or from said slanted tracks, respectively.