Patent ID: 7817901

Claim:
A recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: an encoding unit configured to encode moving image data in accordance with MPEG system which uses intra-frame encoding and inter-frame encoding and outputs encoded moving image data, where an intra-frame encoded frame is provided every 15 frames and a predictive inter-frame encoded frame is provided every three (3) frames in the encoded moving image data; a recording and reproducing unit configured to record the encoded moving image data on a magnetic tape where a plurality of tracks are formed, and reproduce the encoded moving image data from the magnetic tape, the recording and reproducing unit including a mechanism configured to move the magnetic tape, the recording and reproducing unit performing an error-correction-coding on the encoded moving image data for every ECC unit including a predetermined number of tracks and recording the error-correction-coded moving image data on the magnetic tape, the recording and reproducing unit recording on a head track of each ECC unit additional information indicating whether the intra-frame encoded frame or the predictive inter-frame encoded frame is included in the ECC unit; and a controller configured to determine a recording start position in a new loaded magnetic tape and control the recording and reproducing unit so as to start to record the encoded moving image data from the recording start position, wherein the controller, if the new magnetic tape where the encoded moving image data is already recorded is loaded, controls the recording and reproducing unit so as to move the magnetic tape at a high-speed faster than a normal reproduction speed and reproduce the additional information recorded on the head track of each ECC unit, and detects the ECC unit including the intra-frame encoded frame or the predictive inter-frame encoded frame based on the detected additional information, and wherein the controller controls the recording and reproducing unit so as to start to record new encoded moving image data from the track where the encoded moving image data of the intra-frame encoded frame or the predictive inter-frame encoded frame included in the detected ECC unit is recorded.