Patent ID: 7058283

Claim:
A magnetic tape tracking control apparatus for controlling tracking of tracks on a magnetic tape by a rotary head, comprising: first image data generating means for encoding an inputted video signal to generate video data; second image data generating means for generating search video data on the basis of said video data generated by said first image data generating means; recording means for recording, on said tracks, said video data, said search video data, track number information and positional information associated with a recording position of said search video data, wherein said recording means records said video data and said search video data in a main area of said track with said track number information and records said positional information in a subcode area with said track number information; reference phase generating means for generating a reference phase in variable-speed reproduction; tracking information generating means for generating a tracking phase corresponding to a position of one of said tracks, recorded with search video data, wherein said tracking information generating means comprises: counting means for counting clocks, detecting means for detecting said search video data, error lock detecting means for determining whether the phase of said counting means is locked to a target track, and first setting means for setting said counting means by a count value corresponding to the track number information of said detected search video data; and comparing means for comparing said reference phase with said tracking phase to control tracking on the basis of a result of the comparison.