Patent ID: 7161760

Claim:
An apparatus for reproducing data by scanning four slant tracks formed on a tape recording medium using four reproducing heads disposed on a rotary drum, adjacent ones of said four tracks having different azimuth angles, each of the four reproducing heads is disposed in relation to a respective one of said azimuth angles on said rotary drum, said apparatus comprising: measuring means for measuring error rates by reading said data from said tracks formed on said tape recording medium by said reproducing heads disposed on said rotary drum; track detecting means for detecting a worst track deemed to have a highest error rate from said tracks respectively formed at predetermined cycles on said tape recording medium, based on said error rates measured by said measuring means; head determining means for determining a pair of reproducing heads out of said four reproducing heads, said pair of reproducing heads are able to read data recorded on said worst track at lowest error rates based on said error rates measured by said measuring means; and servo control means for performing tracking servo control such that said worst track is scanned by said pair of reproducing heads determined by said head determining means.