Patent GB-1509336-A (GB)
Title: Colour video reproducing apparatus
IPC: G11B20/02
Filed: 1976-02-18
Abstract: 1509336 Colour television SONY CORP 18 Feb 1976 [20 Feb 1975] 06415/76 Heading H4F An apparatus for processing colour video signals, e.g. from a magnetic tape recorder, which comprise a frequency-modulated luminance component and a chrominance component having a carrier frequency substantially lower than the standard frequency includes a drop-out compensator providing a compensated luminance signal from which sync pulses are derived. It also includes means for generating a frequency which is used to restore the chrominance component to the standard frequency, the frequency generated being controlled by the sync pulses and being held during a drop-out at the value that it had prior to the dropout. The holding of the frequency during a dropout prevents disturbance in the operation of the a.f.c. and consequent deterioration of the image. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 the output of a video tape recorder is separated into luminance and chrominance components by filters 27,31. The luminance component passes via drop-out compensator 20 to f.m. demodulator 29. The compensator includes a 1-line delay 24 and a switch 22 controlled by a drop-out detector 25. Sync. pulses are separated 12 from the demodulated luminance and fed to serially-connected monostables 13, 14 whose output is fed via gate 42 to sampling circuit 18 in a.f.c. 10<SP>1</SP>. Gate 42 is so constructed that it is closed when a drop-out occurs, its closure being delayed until the end of the sync. pulse if the dropout starts during a sync. pulse, and its re-opening being delayed until the end of the sync. pulse if the drop-out ceases during a sync. pulse. The chrominance component separated by filter 31 is restored to the standard carrier frequency by frequency converter 32, and after filtering 33, 34 is added 35 to the demodulated luminance to provide a video signal to a display. As described the chrominance component has different carrier frequencies during successive field periods, which are recorded on successive tracks, so it is necessary that a.f.c. 10' shall provide different frequencies during successive periods. The a.f.c. includes a voltage-controlled oscillator 15 whose output feeds dividers. The dividers are selected 39 alternately at field frequency to feed a ramp generator 17. The ramp pulses are sampled 18 by the sync. pulses from gate 42 and the samples pass via a hold unit 19 to control the frequency of v.c.o. 15. During a dropout unit 19 holds the v.c.o. at the last-determined frequency. The v.c.o. output is added in frequency converter 38 to a fixed-frequency signal from v.c.o. 37 which is controlled by an automatic phase control unit 37 responsive to the colour bursts separated from the output of filter 34. Frequency converter 32 forms the difference of the chrominance component and the signal from converter 38. The resultant signal has the standard frequency carrier and sidebands spaced from the carrier at multiples of the line frequency and is passed by the comb filter 34. If there is cross-talk between successive tracks this is eliminated by filter 34 since the chrominance cross-talk components at the output of frequency converter 32 lie in the nodes of the filter.