Magnetic tape with a track configuration and apparatus for cooperation with such a magnetic tape

A magnetic tape cassette having a tape in which adjacent inclined tracks extend obliquely relative to a longitudinal direction of the tape and in which a CTL control signal track extends in the longitudinal direction of the tape, all in accordance with an analog VHS standard adopted by manufacturers of analog VHS equipment, said analog VHS standard defining a period length for a CTL signal in the CTL control signal track, wherein digital information is stored in the adjacent inclined tracks instead of analog VHS signals and further comprising:

• a periodic control signal stored in the CTL control signal track for automatically controlling tape speed correctly during playback of the digital information by digital playback apparatus, the stored periodic control signal having a period length that is different from the period length for a CTL signal defined by said analog VHS standard, the stored periodic control signal being readable as a CTL signal by an analog VHS playback apparatus complying with said analog VHS standard in the event that said analog VHS playback apparatus attempts to play the magnetic tape cassette having digital information stored in the inclined tracks, said analog VHS playback apparatus automatically controlling tape speed in accordance with the period length of the periodic control signal stored in the CTL control signal track to produce an incorrect tape speed when the tape is played back using said analog VHS playback apparatus, thereby avoiding undesirable audio output from said analog VHS playback apparatus.

Apparatus for recording digital video and digital audio information on a magnetic tape in adjacent inclined tracks which extend obliquely relative to a longitudinal direction of the tape, and in which a control signal track extends in the longitudinal direction of the tape for automatically controlling tape speed during playback of the tape in accordance with the period length of a periodic control signal stored in the control signal track, the magnetic tape being held in a magnetic tape cassette and the magnetic tape, the inclined tracks, the control signal track and the magnetic tape cassette all complying with an analog VHS standard adopted by manufacturers of analog VHS equipment, comprising:

• means for scanning the inclined tracks by means of rotationally drivable magnetic heads and recording digital video and digital audio information in the inclined tracks, each of the magnetic heads successively scanning inclined tracks that are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction by a predetermined distance;
• and means for storing a periodic control signal on the tape in the control signal track, the stored periodic control signal having a period length equal to said predetermined distance divided by N, where N is an integer greater than 1, whereby the period length of the periodic control signal does not comply with said analog VHS standard in order that in the event the tape on which digital video and digital audio information is recorded is attempted to be played back using an analog playback equipment that complies with said analog VHS standard, an incorrect tape speed is produced by said analog playback equipment, thereby avoiding undesirable audio output from said analog playback equipment.

Apparatus for reproducing digital video and digital audio information recorded on a magnetic tape in adjacent inclined tracks which extend obliquely relative to a longitudinal direction of the tape, the inclined tracks being readable by means of rotationally drivable magnetic heads, each of the magnetic heads successively scanning inclined tracks that are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction by a predetermined distance, said tape also having a control signal track extending in the longitudinal direction of the tape for automatically controlling tape speed during playback in accordance with a period length of a control signal stored in the control signal track, the magnetic tape being held in a magnetic tape cassette and the magnetic tape, the inclined tracks, the control signal track and the magnetic tape cassette all complying with an analog VHS standard adopted by manufacturers of analog VHS equipment, a control signal being stored in the control signal track and having a period length not complying with said analog VHS standard, the period length of the stored control signal being equal to said predetermined distance divided by N, where N is an integer greater than 1, said apparatus comprising:

• means for reading the control signal stored in the control signal track and for determining a control signal frequency thereof;
• and a frequency divider for dividing the determined frequency by N, the divided frequency being used to control tape speed during playback of the digital video and digital audio information recorded on the tape, whereby in the event that the tape is attempted to be played back by an analog playback equipment that complies with said analog VHS standard and reads the control signal track and determines a control signal frequency in order to control tape speed in accordance therewith, the determined control signal frequency will not be divided by N, thereby producing an incorrect tape speed that avoids undesirable audio output.

A magnetic tape cassette containing a tape in which adjacent inclined tracks extend obliquely relative to a longitudinal direction of the tape, the inclined tracks being scannable by means of rotationally drivable magnetic heads, and in which a control signal track extends in the longitudinal direction of the tape, the control signal track complying with an analog VHS standard adopted by manufacturers of analog VHS equipment for recording a CTL control signal for controlling tape speed during analog VHS playback, the magnetic tape cassette and the tape tracks structurally complying with said analog VHS standard so that the magnetic tape cassette and tape physically can be loaded into an analog VHS playback apparatus complying with said analog VHS standard, however wherein digital information is stored in the adjacent inclined tracks instead of analog signals, the tape further comprising:

• a periodic control signal stored in the control signal track for automatically controlling tape speed during playback of the digital information by digital playback apparatus, the stored periodic control signal having a period length equal to the distance by which two successive inclined tracks scanned by the same magnetic head are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction divided by N, where N is an integer greater than 1, whereby in the event that said analog VHS playback apparatus complying with said analog VHS standard attempts to play the magnetic tape cassette having digital information stored in the inclined tracks, said analog VHS playback apparatus incorrectly interprets the periodic control signal stored in the control signal track as a CTL signal and automatically drives the tape at an incorrect speed, thereby automatically avoiding undesirable and annoying acoustic output.

A magnetic tape cassette containing a tape in which adjacent inclined tracks extend obliquely relative to a longitudinal direction of the tape, and in which a control signal track extends in the longitudinal direction adopted by manufacturers of analog VHS equipment for recording a CTL control signal that controls tape speed during VHS playback, the magnetic tape cassette and the tape tracks geometrically complying with said analog VHS standard so that the magnetic tape cassette and tape physically can be loaded into an analog VHS playback apparatus complying with said analog VHS standard, however wherein digital information is stored in the adjacent inclined tracks instead of analog signals, the tape further comprising:

• a periodic control signal stored in the control signal track for automatically controlling tape speed during playback of the stored digital information by digital playback apparatus, the stored periodic control signal having a period length equal to a fraction of the period length of the CTL control signal specified by said analog VHS standard, whereby in the event that said analog VHS playback apparatus complying with said analog VHS standard attempts to play the magnetic tape cassette having digital information stored in the inclined tracks, said analog VHS playback apparatus incorrectly interprets the periodic control signal stored in the control signal track as a CTL signal and automatically drives the tape at an incorrect speed, thereby automatically avoiding undesirable and annoying acoustic output.