Digital video tape recorder

Abstract: A method for recording and reproducing a colour video signal having a luminance signal and two difference chroma signals together with a key signal by using two video tape recorders which are synchronously driven comprises the steps of dividing the two difference chroma signals so as to obtain high frequency components and low frequency components of the two difference chroma signals, recording a first video signal having the luminance signal and the two difference chroma signals having the low frequency components, and a second video signal having the key signal and the two difference chroma signals having the high frequency components in a format of 4:2:2 digital video signal processing by using a 4:2:2 type video tape recorder respectively, reproducing the first and second video signals, and combining the reproduced first and second video signals so as to obtain the colour video signal and the key signal. In a variant, the first and second video signals may be recorded on the same tape, with the second video signals being recorded in the guard bands between the tracks in which the first video signals are recorded.

Description: The present invention relates generally to a method of recording and reproducing a colour video signal and to a digital video tape recorder. More particularly, this invention relates to a digital video tape recorder for recording and reproducing a colour video signal which is compatible with a conventional digital video tape recorder with a format of 4:2:2 type while providing a double recording capacity. A digital video tape recorder for recording and reproducing a digital colour video signal in the so-called 4:2:2 format is known. Figures 1A to 1C of the accompanying drawings illustrate the format of the above mentioned 4:2:2 type digital video processing, wherein to produce digital video data D VD a luminance signal Y is sampled at a sampling frequency of 13.5 MHz, two difference chrominance signals B-Y and R-Y are sampled at a sampling frequency of 6.75 MHz which is half of that of luminance signal. A digital signal D Y formed of the sampled luminance signal is recorded in the signal band of 6 MHz (5.75 MHz in practice), and the digital signals D B-Y and D R-Y formed of the two difference chrominance signals B-Y and R-Y are recorded in the signal band of 3 MHz (2.75 MHz in practice). When the digital video tape recorder based on 4:2:2 format digital video signal processing is used to produce a picture in a broadcasting station and in studio productions and so on, however, the digital signals D B-Y and D R-Y formed of the two difference chrominance signals B-Y and R-Y are recorded in the signal band of 3 MHz which is half of that of the digital signal D Y formed of the luminance signal. Thus, when the picture is edited by using a so-called chromakey method, a satisfactory efficiency can not be demonstrated. Further, according to the 4:2:2 format digital video signal processing, only the luminance signal D Y and the digital signals D Y and D B-Y and D R-Y formed of the two difference chrominance signals are recorded on the magnetic tape and a so-called key signal or the like for achieving special effects cannot be recorded thereon in practice. Therefore, in the production of pictures, so a second video tape recorder is used to record only the key signal which makes for complicated and cumbersome work. In order to solve the above mentioned problems, a so-called 4:4:4:4 format of digital video tape recorder is proposed, in which the luminance signal, the difference chrominance signals R-Y and B-Y and the key signal for special effects are recorded and reproduced in the same signal band. For example, a system is proposed for recording and reproducing three colour signals R, G, B and the key signal which are in the same frequency band by a single video tape recorder. In the digital video tape recorder which directly records on a magnetic tape video date in 4:4:4:4 digital video processing format, it is difficult to maintain compatibility with the prior art digital video tape recorder of 4:2:2 digital video signal processing format and the above mentioned problems are not yet solved. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for recording and reproducing a colour video signal which can remove or reduce the above mentioned defects inherent in the prior art method. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of recording and reproducing in a 4:4:4:4 format a colour video signal comprising a luminance signal and difference chrominance signals each having a frequency bandwidth equivalent to that of the luminance signal and said signals being sampled at the same sampling frequency, and an independent video signal which is different from the colour video signal and has a frequency band width equivalent to that of the luminance signal and being sampled of said sampling frequency, characterised by the method comprising the steps of: (a) dividing each of the difference chrominance signals so as to obtain with the same frequency bandwidths the low frequency components of each difference chrominance signal, and with the same frequency band widths the high frequency components of each difference chrominance signal; (b) generating in a 4:2:2 format a first video signal comprising the luminance signal and the low frequency components of the difference chrominance signals, and also in the 4:2:2 format a second video signal comprising the independent video signal and the high frequency components of the difference chrominance signals; (c) recording the first and second video signals on first and second video tape recorders respectively which are synchronously driven; (d) reproducing the first and second video signals from the first and second video tape recorders; and (e) combining the reproduced first and second video signals so as to regenerate the colour video signal and the independent video signal. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for recording and reproducing in a 4:4:4:4 format a colour video signal comprising a luminance signal and difference chrominance signals each having a frequency bandwidth equivalent to that of the luminance signal and said signals being sampled at the same sampling frequency, and an independent video signal which is different from the colour video signal and has a frequency bandwidth equivalent to that of the luminance signal and being sampled at said sampling frequency characterised by the apparatus comprising: (A) means for dividing each of the difference chrominance signals so as to obtain with the same frequency bandwidths the low frequency components of each difference chrominance signal, and with the same frequency bandwidths the high frequency components of each difference chrominance signal; (B) means for generating in a 4:2:2 format a first video signal comprising the luminance signal and the low frequency components of the difference chrominance signals, and also in the 4:2:2 format a second video signal comprising the independent video signal and the high frequency components of the difference chrominance signals; (C) first and second video tape recorders for recording and reproducing the first and second video signals respectively; and (D) means for combining the first and second video signals reproduced by the first and second video tape recorders so as to regenerate the colour video signal and the independent video signal. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for recording and reproducing in a 4:4:4:4 format a colour video signal comprising a luminance signal and difference chrominance signals each having a frequency bandwidth equivalent to that of the luminance signal and said signals being sampled of the same sampling frequency, and an independent video signal which is different from the colour video signal and has a frequency band width equivalent to that of the luminance signal and being sampled of said sampling frequency, characterised by the apparatus comprising: (A) means for dividing each of the difference chrominance signals so as to obtain with the same frequency band widths the low frequency components of each difference chrominance signal, and with the same frequency band widths the high frequency components of each difference chrominance signal; (B) means for generating in a 4:2:2 format a first video signal comprising the luminance signal and the low frequency components of the difference chrominance signals, and also in the 4:2:2 format a second video signal comprising the independent video signal and the high frequency components of the difference chrominance signals; (C) a video tape recorder for recording and reproducing the first and second video signals on a magnetic tape; and (D) means for combining the first and second video signals reproduced by the video tape recorder so as to regenerate the colour video signal and the independent video signal, wherein the video tape recorder includes a rotary drum having first and second recording heads and reproducing heads such that the first video signal is recorded on the magnetic tape by the first recording head in a manner that successive oblique video tracks are produced with a guard band area therebetween as first video tracks and the second video signal is recorded on the guard band area on the magnetic tape by the second recording head as second video tracks, and thus recorded first and second video signals are reproduced by the first and second reproducing heads respectively. As will become apparent from the following description, the invention can provide a method of and apparatus for recording and reproducing a colour video signal in which a colour video signal in the so-called 4:4:4:4 format can be recorded and reproduced by using two conventional 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorders without using a new digital video tape recorder. The apparatus has compatibility with a conventional 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder format and a recording capacity twice as large as that of the conventional 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder. The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the following nonlimitative detailed description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to represent the same or similar parts in the several views. In the drawings:- Figures 1A to IC are characteristic diagrams used to explain a format of 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder, respectively; Figures 2A to 2D are characteristic diagrams of a format 4:4:4:4 type digital video tape recorder according to the present invention, respectively; Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an apparatus for recording and reproducing a digital video signal according to the present invention; Figure 4A to 4C are a schematic diagrams of a format 4:2:2 main signal system, respectively; Figure 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams of a format 4:2:2 sub signal system, respectively; and Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of a section of a magnetic tape and illustrating recorded tracks thereon used to explain the operation of the present invention. The present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 2A to 2D generally illustrate a 4:4:4:4 format digital video signal processing according to the present invention. Referring to figures 2A to 2D, to form digital video data DG VD from a video signal, the video signal luminance signal Y is sampled at a frequency of, for example, 13.5 MHz and two difference chrominance signals B-Y and R-Y are sampled at the same frequency of 13.5 MHz as that of the luminance signal Y, whereby a digital signal DG Y formed of the luminance signal and digital signals DG B-Y and DG R-Y formed of the difference chrominance signals B-Y and R-Y are recorded on a magnetic tape (not shown) in the signal band of 6 MHz. In the 4:4:4:4 format digital video signal processing, a special effect key signal formed of a video signal similar, for example, to a black and white signal is sampled at a frequency of 13.5 MHz, ie, the same as that of the luminance signal or the like as an independent video signal which is different from the main video signal, whereby a digital signal DG KEY formed of the resultant key signal is recorded on the magnetic tape in the frequency band of 6 MHz which is the same as that of the luminance signal. Thus, the format of so-called 4:4:4:4 type digital video signal processing is formed relative to the format of 4:2:2 type digital video signal processing. The video data DG VD of the 4:4:4:4 format digital video signal processing has twice the amount of data as the video data D VD of the 4:2:2 format digital video signal processing. In this embodiment, noticing this data amount, as shown in figures 4 and 5, the video data DG VD of the 4:4:4:4 format digital video signal process is divided to provide a 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAIN and a 4:2:2 sub signal system DG SUB each corresponding to the format of the 4:2:2 type digital video signal. The 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAIN is comprised of the digital signal DG Y formed of the luminance signal and digital signals DG Y formed of the luminance signal and digital signals DG (B-Y)L and DG (R-Y)L formed of the low frequency components of two difference chrominance signals, while, the 4:2:2 sub signal system DG SUB is comprised of the digital signal DG KEY formed of the key signal and digital signals DG (B-Y)H and DG (R-Y)H which result from down-converting the high frequency components of the two difference chrominance signals. As described above, the video data DG VD in the 4:4:4:4 format is divided to provide the two digital data signals formed of the 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAIN and the 4:2:2 sub signal system DG SUB so that in the recording mode, for example, they can be respectively recorded by two 4:2:2 format video tape recorders. When the recorded data of the 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAIN and the 4:2:2 sub signal system DG SUB recorded by the two digital video tape recorders are synchronously reproduced and are digitally processed in a predetermined manner so as to be combined, the video data DG VD in the 4:4:4:4 format and the digital signal DG KEY formed of the key signal can be reproduced. In order to obtain the 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAIN from the 4:4:4:4 format, video data DG VD it is sufficient that the frequency bands of the two difference chrominance signals are limited by a filter corresponding to the format of the prior-art 4:2:2 digital video signal. When the 4:2:2 sub signal system DG SUB is obtained from the 4:4:4:4 video data DG VD , with respect to the two difference chrominance signals, the digital signals DG (B-Y)H and DG (R-Y)H formed of the high frequency components of the two difference chrominance signals are recorded on the same band as those of the two difference chrominance signals of the 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAIN by frequency down-converting the differences of digital signals formed of low frequency components of the two difference chrominance signals, ie, the high frequency components of the two difference chrominance signals from the 4:4:4:4 video signal DG VD . Also, the digital signal DG KEY formed of the key signal is recorded on the same band as that of the digital signal DG Y formed of the luminance signal. According to the above mentioned method, the 4:4:4:4 video data DG VD signal processing is divided to provide two 4:2:2 format digital signal systems, ie, the 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAIN and the 4:2:2 sub signal system DG SUB which are then recorded; in the reproducing mode the 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAIN and the 4:2:2 sub signal system DG SUB are combined. Therefore, it is possible to realise a method of recording and reproducing a video signal in which the digital video signal can be recorded and reproduced with ease by using two prior art 4:2:2 format digital video tape recorders, ie, without requiring a new digital video tape recorder. Figure 3 shows an example of a 4:4:4:4 format digital video tape recorder apparatus for implementing the above described recording and reproducing method of the present invention. Referring to figure 3, it will be seen that a colour video signal (formed of three primary colour signals R, G and B in figure 3) of wide frequency band from a colour video camera 1 is supplied to a pre-processor 2. A special effect key signal DG KEY formed of a video signal similar, for example, to a black and white signal from a black and white (monochrome) camera 3 is supplied through a switch 5 to the pre-processor 2 as an independent video signal separate from the above mentioned colour video signal. Alternatively, a Telop signal, which is superimposed upon, for example, the video signal, from a signal generator 4 is selectively supplied through the above mentioned switch 5 to the pre-processor 2 as the key signal independently of the above mentioned special effect key signal. The frequency bands of the two key signals from the black and white camera 3 and the signal generator 4 are the same as that of the video signal from the colour video camera 1. The video signal from the colour video camera 1 is supplied to the pre-processor 2 as set forth above. The pre-processor 2 processes the video signal to provide the digital luminance signal DG Y and two digital difference chrominance signals DG B-Y and DG R-Y , each having the frequency band of 6 MHz as shown in figures 2A, 2B and 2C. Also, the key signal from the black and white camera 3 or the signal generator 4 is supplied to the pre-processor 2 as described above and is thereby processed to provide a digital key signal DG KEY having a frequency band of 6 MHz as shown in figure 2D. The pre-processor 2 includes a digital low-pass filter and a digital high-pass filter, though not shown. The above mentioned two digital difference chrominance signals DG R-Y and DG B-Y are supplied to the digital low-pass filter and to the digital high-pass filter, respectively. The digital low-pass filter extracts low-frequency components of the two digital difference chrominance signals DG (B-Y) and DG (R-Y) to form low band digital difference chrominance signals DG (B-Y)L and DG (R-Y)L each having a frequency band of 3 MHz as shown in figures 4B and 4C. The low band difference chrominance signals DG (B-Y)L and DG (R-Y)L thus extracted and the above mentioned signal DG Y are supplied together through an output terminal OUT1 of the pre-processor 2 to a conventional component digital video tape recorder (trade name: DVR-1000) 6 formed of a VTR mechanics portion 6A and a VTR signal processor portion 6B, in which they are recorded in the conventional 4:2:2 format. On the other hand, the digital high-pass filter in the pre-processor 2 is supplied with the digital difference chrominance signals DG B-Y and DG R-Y shown in figures 2B and 2C, and generates the high band components of the digital difference chrominance signals DG B-Y and DG R-Y as its output signal. The pass frequency band of this digital high-pass filter is selected in a range of from 3 MHz to 6 MHz so that when the output signal of this high-pass filter is frequency-converted, high band digital difference chrominance signals DG (B-Y)H and DG (R-Y)H including the high band signal components of the digital difference chrominance signals DG B-Y and DG R-Y can be obtained as shown in figures 5B and 5C. The high band digital difference chrominance signals DG (B-Y)H and DG (R-Y)H and the above mentioned key signal DG KEY are formed as one set and fed from an output terminal OUT2 of the pre-processor 2 to another conventional component digital video tape recorder (trade name: DVR-1000) 7 formed of a VTR mechanics portion 7A and a VTR signal processor portion 7B, whereby it is recorded in the prior-art 4:2:2 format. Since the two digital video tape recorders 6 and 7 are simultaneously operated to record the video signal as described above, the operations of the two video tape recorders 6 and 7 have to be synchronised. To this end, a synchronising signal from the digital video tape recorder 6 is supplied through a signal line 8 to the digital video tape recorder 7. In the reproduction mode, the two digital video tape recorders 6 and 7 are synchronously driven similarly to the recording mode, whereby the digital video tape recorder 6 supplies from its output terminal V.OUT1 the reproduced digital luminance signal DG Y and the reproduced low band digital difference chrominance signals DG (B-Y)L and DG (R-Y)L shown in figures 4A, 4B and 4C to an input terminal of a post processor 9. Simultaneously, the other digital video tape recorder 7 supplies from its output terminal V.OUT2 the reproduced digital key signal DG KEY and the reproduced high band digital difference chrominance signals DG (B-Y)H and DB (R-Y)H shown in figures 5A, 5B and 5C, to the other input terminal 2 of the post-processor 9. The two incoming sets of reproduced signals are processed by the post-processor 9 in the inverse manner to that of the pre-processor 2 to form the digital luminance signal DG Y , the digital difference chrominance signals DG (B-Y) , DG (R-Y) and the digital key signal DG KEY , each having the frequency band of 6 MHZ as shown in figures 2A to 2D. The digital reproduced video signal thus made is converted by the post-processor 9 into a signal having a format suitable for a monitor receiver 10 and is fed to the monitor receiver 10. In figure 6, reference numeral 20 generally designates a magnetic tape used in another embodiment of a digital video tape recorder according to the present invention. On the magnetic tape 20, the 4:4:4:4 format video data DG VD is again divided into the two 4:2:2 signals, ie, the main signal system DG MAIN and the sub signal system DG SUB which are both recorded on the same tape. In figure 6, reference letter a represents the head motion and reference letter b represents the tape motion. More specifically, the 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAI N of the video data DG VD is recorded on main recorded tracks TR M1 , TR M2 , ..., formed on recorded tracks TK1, TK2, ..., formed by the magnetic recording format of the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder by a main recording head 30 which is the same as that of the conventional 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder, in non-azimuth fashion. The 4:2:2 sub signal system DG SUB tape recorder is recorded on sub recorded tracks TR S1 , TR S2 , ..., formed in guard band areas GB between the recorded tracks TK1, TK2, ... formed by the magnetic recording format of the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder by a sub recording head 40 which is delayed from the main recording head 30 by a predetermined angle, in an azimuth recording fashion. In this embodiment, according to the magnetic recording format of the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder, the recorded tracks TK1, TK2, ... having a width of 35 micrometers and having no azimuth angle are formed with guard band areas GB of 10 micrometer width by the main recording head 30 having a head width of 35 micrometers. The sub recorded tracks TR S1 , TR S2 , ..., on the other hand, have a track width of 22.5 micrometers and are formed on the guard band areas GB having a width of 10 micrometers by the sub recording head 40 which has a head width of 22.5 micrometers so as to have an azimuth angle of, for example, 20 degrees relative to the recorded tracks TK1, TK2, .... Thus, in the case of this digital video tape recorder, the main recorded tracks TR M1 , TR M2 , ..., having a track width of 22.5 micrometers and the sub recorded tracks TR S1 , TR S2 , ..., having a trackwidth of 22.5 micrometers are alternately formed on the magnetic tape 20. The 4:4:4:4 format video data DG VD thus recorded on the magnetic tape 20 is reproduced by using a main reproducing head and a sub reproducing head arranged in correspondence with the main recording head and the sub recording head of the digital video tape recorder, and the 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAIN and the 4:2:2 sub signal system DG SUB of the video data DG VD are combined to provide the 4:4:4:4 format video data DG VD . Using the method described above with reference to figure 6, this digital video tape recorder can record and reproduce the video data in which the red, green and blue colour signals R, G and B are arranged to have an equivalent characteristic and having very high image quality as compared with the prior art. Simultaneously, this digital video tape recorder can handle the key signal, which enhances the special effects available. Since the video data of the 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAIN recorded on the main recorded tracks TR M1 , TR M2 , ..., correspond to the video data D VD of the conventional 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder format, the video data DG VD of the 4:4:4:4 type digital video tape recorder format recorded on the magnetic tape 20 can be reproduced by digital video tape recorder based on the 4:2:2 format and so can be reproduced as 4:2:2 video data D VD . In this case, in the digital video tape recorder based on the 4:2:2 format, the reproducing head corresponds to the non-azimuth recording head so that the video data of the 4:2:2 sub signal system DG SUB recorded on the sub recorded tracks TR S1 , TR S2 , ..., of the magnetic tape 20 are hardly reproduced in practice due to azimuth loss, since they were recorded in azimuth fashion. According to the above mentioned arrangement, since the video data of the 4:2:2 main signal system DG MAIN is recorded on the recorded tracks TK1, TK2, ..., of the magnetic tape 20 based on the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder format in a non-azimuth recording fashion and the video data of the 4:2:2 sub signal system DG SUB is recorded on the guard band areas GB of the magnetic tape 20 based on the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder format in an azimuth recording fashion, it is possible to realise a digital video tape recorder based on the 4:4:4:4 type digital video tape recorder format which is compatible with the conventional 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder format and which has a recording capacity twice as large as that of the prior art and which can produce the key signal for special effects. While the 4:2:2 sub signal system is recorded on the guard band area of the magnetic tape based on the magnetic recording format of the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder with an azimuth angle of 20 degrees as described above to form the sub recorded track, the azimuth angle is not limited to 20 degrees, the azimuth angle may be any other suitable value such as 15 degrees, 25 degrees and so on. In place of non-azimuth recording on the main recorded tracks and azimuth recording on the sub-recorded tracks, it is possible that, for example, coding is made on the main recorded track in accordance with a scrambled non-return to zero (scrambled NRZ) system, while the coding may be carried out in accordance with other coding system such as an eight-to-fourteen modulation (EFM) system or the like to thereby form the sub recorded tracks. While in the above mentioned embodiment the sub recording head is overlapped on the lateral portion of the recorded track based on the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder format by 12.5 micrometers thereby forming the sub recorded tracks, the sub recording head may be overlapped on the main recorded tracks at both sides of the tracing direction of the sub recording head by 6.75 micrometers in such a manner that the track centre of the recorded track of the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder and the track centre of the recorded track of the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder and the track centre of the main recorded track based on the 4:4:4:4 type digital video tape recorder format may coincide with each other. While the special effect key signal formed of a black and white signal having the same amount of data as that of, for example, the luminance signal is used as the independent video signal different from the video signal, other video signals may be recorded and used as the above mentioned key signal. According to the first embodiment of the present invention, as described above, when the digital signal formed of the luminance signal and two difference chrominance signals of the video signal and the independent video signal different from the video signal are recorded, the digital signal is divided to provide a first digital signal system based on the signal processing format of the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder and the second digital signal system and upon reproduction, the first and second digital signal systems are combined, whereby without providing the new digital video tape recorder, it is possible to realise a method of recording and reproducing a video signal in which the digital video signal can be recorded and reproduced by using the conventional two digital video tape recorders based on the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder format. Further, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, since the first digital signal system is recorded on the recorded tracks of the magnetic tape based on the magnetic recording format of the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder and the second digital signal system is recorded on the guard band areas of the magnetic tape based on the magnetic recording format of the 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder, it is possible to realise a digital video tape recorder having compatibility with the conventional 4:2:2 type digital video tape recorder format and which has a recording capacity twice as large as that of the conventional digital video tape recorder. It should be understood that the above description is presented by way of example on the preferred embodiments of the invention and it will be apparent that many modifications and variations thereof could be effected by one with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: A method of recording and reproducing in a 4:4:4:4 format a colour video signal (D VD ) comprising a luminance signal (D GY ) and difference chrominance signals (DG (B-Y) , DG (R-Y) ) each having a frequency bandwidth equivalent to that of the luminance signal and said signals being sampled at the same sampling frequency, and an independent video signal (DG KEY ) which is different from the colour video signal and has a frequency bandwidth equivalent to that of the luminance signal and being sampled at said sampling frequency, characterised by the method comprising the steps of: (a) dividing each of said difference chrominance signals so as to obtain with the same frequency bandwidths the low frequency components (DG (B-Y)L , DG (R-Y)L ) of each difference chrominance signal, and with the same frequency bandwidths the high frequency components (DG (B-Y)H , DG (R-Y)H ) of each difference chrominance signal; (b) generating in a 4:2:2 format a first video signal comprising said luminance signal and said low frequency components of said difference chrominance signals, and also in the 4:2:2 format a second video signal comprising the independent video signal and the high frequency components of said difference chrominance signals; (c) recording said first and second video signals on first and second video tape recorders (6, 7) respectively which are synchronously driven; (d) reproducing said first and second video signals from said first and second video tape recorders; and (e) combining said reproduced first and second video signals so as to regenerate said colour video signal and the independent video signal. An apparatus for recording and reproducing in a 4:4:4:4 format a colour video signal (D VD ) comprising a luminance signal (D GY ) and difference chrominance signals (DG (B- Y ), DG (R-Y) ) each having a frequency bandwidth equivalent to that of the luminance signal and said signals being sampled at the same sampling frequency, and an independent video signal (DG KEY ) which is different from the colour video signal and has a frequency bandwidth equivalent to that of the luminance signal and being sampled at said sampling frequency, characterised by the apparatus comprising: (A) means (2) for dividing each of said difference chrominance signals so as to obtain with the same frequency bandwidths the low frequency components (DG (B-Y)L , DG (R-Y)L ) of each difference chrominance signal, and with the same frequency bandwidths the high frequency components (DG (B-Y)H , DG (R-Y)H ) of each difference chrominance signal; (B) means (2) for generating in a 4:2:2 format a first video signal comprising said luminance signal and said low frequency components of said difference chrominance signals, and also in the 4:2:2 format a second video signal comprising the independent video signal and the high frequency components of said difference chrominance signals; (C) first and second video tape recorders (6, 7) for recording and reproducing the first and second video signals respectively; and (D) means (9) for combining the first and second video signals reproduced by said first and second video tape recorders (6, 7) so as to regenerate said colour video signal and said independent video signal. An apparatus according to claim 2, in which said colour video signal and said independent video signal are digital video signals. An apparatus according to claim 3, in which said first and second video tape recorders are 4:2:2 type digital component video tape recorders. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which said first and second video tape recorders are driven synchronously. An apparatus according to claim 5, in which said independent video signal is a monochrome video signal. An apparatus according to claim 6, in which a frequency band of said luminance signal, difference chrominance signals and independent video signal is six Megahertz. An apparatus for recording and reproducing in a 4:4:4:4 format a colour video signal (D VD ) comprising a luminance signal (D GY ) and difference chrominance signals (DG (B- Y) , DG (R-Y) ) each having a frequency bandwidth equivalent to that of the luminance signal and said signals being sampled at the same sampling frequency, and an independent video signal (DG KEY ) which is different from the colour video signal and has a frequency bandwidth equivalent to that of the luminance signal and being sampled at said sampling frequency, characterised by the apparatus comprising: (A) means (2) for dividing each of said difference chrominance signals so as to obtain with the same frequency bandwidths the low frequency components (DG (B-Y)L , DG (R-Y)L ) of each difference chrominance signal, and with the same frequency bandwidths the high frequency components (DG (B-Y)H , DG (R-Y)H ) of each difference chrominance signal; (B) means (2) for generating in a 4:2:2 format a first video signal comprising said luminance signal and said low frequency components of said difference chrominance signals, and also in the 4:2:2 format a second video signal comprising the independent video signal and the high frequency components of said difference chrominance signals; (C) a video tape recorder for recording and reproducing the first and second video signals on a magnetic tape; and (D) means for combining the first and second video signals reproduced by said video tape recorder so as to regenerate said colour video signal and said independent video signal, wherein said video tape recorder includes a rotary drum having first and second recording heads (30, 40) and reproducing heads such that said first video signal is recorded on the magnetic tape by said first recording head in such a manner that successive oblique video tracks (TK1, TK2 ...) are produced with a guard band (GB) area therebetween as first video tracks (TR M1 , TR M2 ...), and said second video signal is recorded on said guard band area on the magnetic tape by said second recording head as second video tracks (TR S1 , TR S2 ...), and thus recorded first and second video signals are reproduced by said first and second reproducing heads respectively. The apparatus according to claim 8, in which said first video tracks have a different azimuth angle from that of said second video tracks.

Inventors: EGUCHI TAKEO, EGUCHI, TAKEO, EGUCHI, TAKEO SONY CORPORATION
Applicants: SONY CORP, SONY CORPORATION
Application year: 1989
Main classification: H04N9
IPC codes: H04N9, G11B27, G11B20, H04N5