Video tape recorder and recording method

A video tape recorder for sequentially and diagonally forming recording tracks on a magnetic tape and recording compressed video data, compressed audio data, and data relating to the video data and the audio data on the magnetic tape, the video tape recorder is characterized by comprising:

• pack-unit generating means for blocking the video data in units of a predetermined number of blocks to generate a pack unit including a combination of the video data in the block, the corresponding audio data, and the related data;
• management-information generating means for generating management information serving as a reproduction reference when the video data is reproduced from the magnetic tape, from time management information when the video data is decompressed and output;
• and
• a recording system for recording the data in the pack unit on the magnetic tape along with the management information serving as the reproduction reference,
• wherein the management-information generating means generates the management information serving as the reproduction reference such that the management information serving as the reproduction reference is varied in proportion to a clock serving as a processing reference when the video data is decompressed and wherein the recording position of each pack unit precedes the reproduction reference generated by the time management information by an amount given by adding a predetermined preceding amount to the processing reference.

A recording method of sequentially and diagonally forming recording tracks on a magnetic tape and recording compressed video data, compressed audio data, and data relating to the video data and the audio data on the magnetic tape, the recording method is characterized by comprising:

• a pack-unit generating step of blocking the video data in units of a predetermined number of blocks to generate a pack unit including a combination of the video data in the block, the corresponding audio data, and the related data;
• a management-information generating step of generating management information serving as a reproduction reference when the video data is reproduced from the magnetic tape, from time management information when the video data is decompressed and output;
• a delay step of delaying the pack-unit;
• a recording step of recording the pack unit on the magnetic tape along with the management information serving as the a reproduction reference;
• and
• a controlling step of varying a delay time generated in the delay step,
• wherein the controlling step varies the delay time such that the recording position of the head of each pack unit is set to a position having a predetermined relationship with the recording position determined by the management information serving as the corresponding reproduction reference and wherein the head of each pack unit, which is the position having the predetermined relationship, precedes the recording position determined by the management information serving as the reproduction reference corresponding to the time management information by an amount given by adding a predetermined preceding amount to the delay time in the decoding at the head of the pack unit.

A recording method of sequentially and diagonally forming recording tracks on a magnetic tape and recording compressed video data, compressed audio data, and data relating to the video data and the audio data on the magnetic tape, the recording method is characterized by comprising:

• a pack-unit generating step of blocking the video data in units of a predetermined number of blocks to generate a pack unit including a combination of the video data in the block, the corresponding audio data, and the related data;
• a management-information generating step of generating management information serving as a reproduction reference when the video data is reproduced from the magnetic tape, from time management information when the video data is decompressed and output;
• and
• a recording step of recording the data in the pack unit on the magnetic tape along with the management information serving as the reproduction reference,
• wherein the management-information generating step generates the management information serving as the reproduction reference such that the management information serving as the reproduction reference is varied in proportion to a clock serving as a processing reference when the video data is decompressed and wherein the recording position of each pack unit precedes the reproduction reference generated by the time management information by an amount given by adding a predetermined preceding amount to the processing reference.