Magnetic recording and playback method and apparatus

Abstract

The ratio of an inter-track gap occupied in each track of a magnetic tape is minimized to increase the amount of effective data which can be recorded on one track. In the magnetic recording and playback method for recording digital data on a magnetic tape by a helical scan method and for playing back digital data recorded on a magnetic tape by a helical scan method, in sequence from the start of each track on a magnetic tape, a first recording area containing an audio sector, etc., and a second recording area containing an insert-and-track-information sector, one of a video sector and an audio-video-mixed sector in which audio data and the video data are mixed, a subcode sector, etc., are located, with an inter-track gap provided between the recording areas, and data is continuously recorded on each sector of the first recording area and the second recording area, wherein data in the first recording area can be rewritten after recording onto the magnetic tape is terminated.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.