Patent ID: 6246830
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: G11B,H04N

Abstract:
An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing digital video signals and digital audio signals on and from a magnetic tape in adjacent digital tracks which are inclined relative to a longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising:a drum-shaped scanning device around which the magnetic tape travels at a given tape speed along a helical path during the recording and reproduction of signals, said drum-shaped scanning device comprising a rotationally drivable head support for carrying a plurality of digital magnetic heads, said head support carrying a first digital head pair for conveying digital video signals and digital audio signals, and a second digital head pair for conveying digital video signals and digital audio signals, said first digital head pair comprising two diagonally arranged digital magnetic heads having head gaps with oppositely oriented digital azimuth angles for scanning the magnetic tape along adjacent inclined digital tracks, and said second digital head pair comprising two diagonally arranged digital magnetic heads having head gaps with oppositely oriented digital azimuth angles for scanning the magnetic tape along further adjacent inclined digital tracks, the digital azimuth angles of the two digital magnetic heads of the first device head pair being smaller than the digital azimuth angles of the two digital magnetic heads of the second digital head pair, wherein the digital magnetic heads of the first digital head pair and the digital magnetic heads of the second digital head pair are arranged on the head support in such a relationship to one another that at the given tape speed, the digital magnetic heads of the first digital head pair and the digital magnetic heads of the second digital head pair scan adjacent interleaved inclined digital tracks in such a manner that an inclined digital track scanned by a digital magnetic head of one of the first and second digital head pairs is situated between two of the inclined digital tracks scanned by the digital magnetic heads of the other one of the first and second digital head pairs, and the head gaps of the digital magnetic heads of the first digital head pair and of the second digital head pair have gap lengths which are, at most, 0.40 .mu.m, the apparatus further comprising:a digital signal processing device for processing digital video signals and digital audio signals, said digital signal processing device being connected to the digital magnetic heads of the first digital head pair and to the digital magnetic heads of the second digital head pair during the recording and reproduction of said digital video signals and digital audio signals.