Recording and reproduction of an information signal in a short play and a long play mode

An apparatus for reproducing an information signal from slant tracks on a magnetic record carrier, the apparatus comprising:

• first reading means comprising at least a first read head and a second read head located on a rotatable head drum, for reading recorded information from said record carrier;
• second reading means having a control (CTL) read head for reading a CTL signal recorded in a longitudinal CTL track on said record carrier;
• and
• signal processing means for processing the recorded information read from the record carrier to form a replica of the information signal,
• the apparatus reproducing the information signal recorded in the tracks in one of at least a first reproduction mode and a second reproduction mode, wherein, in said first reproduction mode, the first reading means reads, during each revolution of the head drum, a portion of the recorded information from tracks on said record carrier, the apparatus further comprising:
• transport means for transporting the record carrier with a predetermined first speed in said first reproduction mode;
• and
• drive means for rotating said head drum with a predetermined rotational velocity in said first recording mode, characterized in that said apparatus further comprises control means coupled to said second reading means and said transport means for controlling the transporting speed of said record carrier in dependence on said CTL signal, in that, in said second reproduction mode, the first reading means reads, during each n-th revolution of the head drum, a portion of said recorded information from a track on said record carrier, the transport means transporting the record carrier with a second speed substantially equal to the first speed divided by n, n being an integer larger than 1, and the drive means rotating said head drum at said predetermined rotational velocity, the apparatus further comprising detection means for detecting, in said second reproduction mode, the signal level of the recorded information read by said first read head during each revolution of the head drum, said detection means determining the one revolution in each group of n revolutions of the head drum producing the highest signal level of the recorded information read the first read head, and said detection means generating a control signal in response thereto, the signal processing means processing the recorded information read by said first read head during said one revolution of each group of n revolutions indicated by said control signal.

A method of recording an information signal on a record carrier to produce slant tracks on said magnetic record carrier, and for recording a control (CTL) signal to produce a longitudinal CTL track on said record carrier, the method comprising the steps:

• receiving the information signal;
• first writing the information signal on said record carrier to produce slant tracks on the record carrier using at least a first write head and second write head having respective gaps with a first azimuth angle and a second azimuth angle, respectively, said first and second write heads being located on a rotatable head drum;
• generating a CTL signal with a specific frequency, said CTL signal having first type edges and second type edges;
• and
• second writing the CTL signal on said record carrier so as to produce said longitudinal track,
• wherein, in a first recording mode, the first writing step comprises writing, during each revolution of the head drum, a portion of the information signal to produce tracks of information during each revolution of said head drum on said record carrier, said specific frequency of said CTL signal being such that one of said first type edges in said CTL signal is written in said CTL track during each revolution of said head drum, the method further comprising the steps:
• transporting the record carrier with a predetermined first speed in said first recording mode;
• and
• rotating said head drum with a predetermined rotational velocity in said first recording mode,
• characterized in that in a second recording mode, the first writing step comprises writing, by said first write head during each n-th revolution of the head drum, a portion of said information signal to produce slant tracks of information on said record carrier, the transporting step comprising transporting the record carrier with a second speed substantially equal to the first speed divided by n, n being an integer greater than 1, the rotating step comprising rotating step comprising rotating said head drum at substantially said predetermined rotational velocity, the generating step comprising generating said CTL signal with said predetermined frequency, and the second writing step including writing the CTL signal of said predetermined frequency to produce said longitudinal track in said second recording mode.