Abstract: Copy protecting television broadcast program signals which are received and recorded in a format that reserves recording areas for accessory information relating to the format and reserves other recording areas for digital image signals. When the input signals received for recording are determined to be television broadcast program signals, a generation limiting signal inserted therein is set to a copy protect state and is recorded to inhibit copying.

Abstract: An ink composition of the present invention comprises an oil-based ink and a heat decomposition-type gas-developing agent that generates gas by relatively small amount of heat. A thermal printer using the ink composition is not clogged with the composition even after a long-term storage, and provides a printed matter excellent in water resistance. Thus, the ink composition is remarkably useful for a thermal ink jet printer and a thermal ink permeation printer.

Abstract: Copy protecting television broadcast program signals which are received and recorded in a format that reserves recording areas for accessory information relating to the format and reserves other recording areas for digital image signals. When the input signals received for recording are determined to be television broadcast program signals, a generation limiting signal inserted therein is set to a copy protect state and is recorded to inhibit copying.

Abstract: A recording and reproducing apparatus according to the invention has: at least a pair of rotary heads having different azimuth angles; a run controller for controlling the run of the magnetic tape; and a recording timing controller for controlling so that the recording by the rotary heads is performed at the first period when digital data having a first data rate is inputted, wherein the digital data is recorded on the magnetic tape at a recording timing. The recording and reproducing apparatus also has a memory for storing the digital data which is supplied from the outside, a reader for reading the digital data stored in the memory, and a signal processor for executing a predetermined process to the digital data read from the memory.

Abstract: A video signal receiver receives a plurality of video channels simultaneously carrying, offset by a transmission interval, a single video program, selects one channel from which to obtain the program for display to a user, and achieves a pause function in the display of the transmitted video program by temporarily storing a segment of the video program equal to the length of the transmission interval and obtaining the remainder of the program at a later time from the same or another channel.

Abstract: Rotary head recording and/or reproducing apparatus in which respective oblique tracks on a record medium are scanned, each track having an information signal area in which information data is recorded and a track following area in which a tracking control pilot signal is recorded. The track following area precedes the information signal area; and in the preferred embodiment, an additional track following area follows the information signal area. The pilot signal is recorded in only a portion of the track following area, the remainder of which has timing sync data recorded therein. In an after-recording mode the timing sync data is reproduced, detected and used as a reference to define an after-record area.

Abstract: A video signal receiver receives a plurality of video channels simultaneously carrying, offset by a transmission interval, a single video program, selects one channel from which to obtain the program for display to a user, and achieves a pause function in the display of the transmitted video program by temporarily storing a segment of the video program equal to the length of the transmission interval and obtaining the remainder of the program at a later time from the same or another channel.

Abstract: An input digital signal is recorded on inclined tracks on a magnetic tape. The tape has a length L divided quarterly. A leading portion L/4 is reserved for general data, while the remaining portions are reserved for continuous data. The general and continuous data are recorded as SYNC blocks on different tracks. A number of general data SYNC blocks of one track from a basic unit which is divided into sub-units. The general data sub-units are arranged in the same format as the continuous audio data such that the general data is recorded in the same format as the continuous data. The data rates of the input digital signal which includes the general and continuous data are supplied to a mechanism controller which controls a buffer, a frame segmenting circuit and a tape head mechanism according to the data rates of the general and continuous data such that the data is recorded at a standard rate.

Abstract: A digital VCR incorporates an IC card reader/writer that cooperates with an IC card that stores therein control data corresponding to the transmission format of video signals to be recorded. The signal processing circuits with the digital VCR are controlled by the control data and are structured of digital signal processors and the operations of the circuits are controlled such that the sync block length and the like of the record data are controllable. A host interface is connected to a modem is and the modem connected to a host computer of a bank, a department store, or the like through the public phone network, so that the digital VCR can be utilized as a terminal unit for an IC card application system for home banking, home shopping, and so on.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reproducing and after-recording digital signals in slant recording tracks sequentially arranged on a recording medium includes a recording subsystem for recording digital signals in each of the slant tracks and a reproducing subsystem for reproducing digital signals therefrom. The recording and reproducing subsystems include one or more recording and/or reproducing heads for scanning each of the tracks for recording and reproducing digital data therein. A tracking control subsystem controls tracking of the heads with respect to the tracks in a reproducing mode based upon tracking signals recorded both in first and second tracking signal recording areas of the tracks located at initial and final scan positions, respectively, of each track.

Abstract: A video signal receiver receives a plurality of video channels simultaneously carrying, offset by a transmission interval, a single video program, selects one channel from which to obtain the program for display to a user, and achieves a pause function in the display of the transmitted video program by temporarily storing a segment of the video program equal to the length of the transmission interval and obtaining the remainder of the program at a later time from the same or another channel.

Abstract: In a digital video tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus including a pair of rotary magnetic heads having a predetermined head width and gaps with mutually different azimuth angles which helically scan a magnetic tape as the tape is advanced in order to reproduce digital video signals that have been previously azimuth-recorded in oblique tracks on the tape, there is a tape transport that can transport the tape either at a standard speed or at a non-standard speed. If the tracks recorded on the video tape have a track width equal to the head width, then the tape is transported for reproduction at the standard speed, whereas, if the track width is different from the head width, the tape is transported at the non-standard speed. For example, if the track width is twice the head width, then the tape is transported at twice the standard speed.

Abstract: Digital data representing a compressed image is separated into priority data and normal data, and formatted so that the priority data is repeatedly recorded on a magnetic tape. The transmission rate of the digital data is compared with the recording rate on the magnetic tape to control the number of repetitions of the priority data.

Abstract: A video signal receiver receives a plurality of video channels simultaneously carrying, offset by a transmission interval, a single video program, selects one channel from which to obtain the program for display to a user, and achieves a pause function in the display of the transmitted video program by temporarily storing a segment of the video program equal to the length of the transmission interval and obtaining the remainder of the program at a later time from the same or another channel.

Abstract: A digital signal transmitting method, a digital signal receiving apparatus, and a recording medium which ensure the security of fee-charged software information. When an image providing predetermined services is transmitted, a band-compression coded digital video signal is given first-encryption processing and then the digital signal is further given encryption processing and transmitted. Therefore, double security can be added to the video signal and a digital signal transmitting method where its security is more firmly ensured can be realized.

Abstract: A digital signal recording and reproducing apparatus are disclosed which can record digital data of the advanced television (ATV) system or some other digital data onto a recording medium without the necessity of displacing recording areas for sub codes of the recording medium and can thus make effective use of the recording capacity of the recording medium. When an ordinary television signal is to be recorded, the length of the Inter Block Gap IBG and amble areas between an audio signal recording area and a video signal recording area is set to an integral number of times the length of a synchronizing block of a digital audio signal and a digital video signal. When data of the ATV system or like data are to be recorded, the data are recorded continuously from the audio signal recording area to the video signal recording area.

Abstract: There is provided a recording/reproducing apparatus, e.g., digital video tape recorder, etc., applicable to a transmission system sufficiently utilizing communication capacity. The recording/reproducing apparatus comprises a recording element (e.g., rotary head) for recording, onto a recording medium (e.g., magnetic tape), time base compression processing implemented digital data delivered from the external, e.g., broadcasting station side, etc.; a control circuit for carrying out a control to read out the digital data from the recording medium at a speed lower than a recording speed in dependency upon the time base compression processing implemented to the digital data; and an output circuit for outputting, as a reproduced output, digital data which has been read out from the recording medium.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for recording video signals in a plurality of tracks on a recording medium. In certain embodiments, first and second video signal intervals include respective first and second common sub-area signals representing at least one common sub-area of a video screen. The common sub-area signals of the first and second video signal intervals are recorded at respectively different locations within the plurality of tracks. In certain embodiments, component color video signals including luminance signals and first and second color difference signals are divided into a plurality of discrete cosine transformation (DCT) blocks and blocks representing common respective subdivisions of a video screen are assembled into corresponding macro blocks. Adjacent macro blocks are assembled into super macro blocks which, in turn, are arranged in a shuffled sequence relative to the positions of their subdivisions on the video screen for recording in the shuffled sequence.

Abstract: Rotary head recording and/or reproducing apparatus in which respective oblique tracks on a record medium are scanned, each track having an information signal area in which information data is recorded and a track following area in which a tracking control pilot signal is recorded. The track following area precedes the information signal area; and in the preferred embodiment, an additional track following area follows the information signal area. The pilot signal is recorded in only a portion of the track following area, the remainder of which has timing sync data recorded therein. In an after-recording mode the timing sync data is reproduced, detected and used as a reference to define an after-record area.

Abstract: In a digital video tape recorder (VTR) which reproduces digital video and audio signals from a magnetic tape, a copy protect bit in the reproduced digital video signal is detected, and on the basis of the copy protect bit, a code is generated and inserted into the vertical blanking interval of the reproduced video signal. When a video signal (which may be in analog or digital form) having the code in the vertical blanking interval is received in a digital VTR, the code is detected and recording of the video signal and an associated audio signal is inhibited if the code indicates that the received video signal is copy protected.