Abstract: A property improving method includes first and second steps. In the first step popcorn noise in a read signal of a thin-film magnetic head is measured so as to determine whether the popcorn noise falls within a permissible range. In the second step a current is fed to the recording head of the thin-film magnetic head, the current having a value greater than that of the current fed when a normal writing operation is performed. While the value of the current fed to the recording head is gradually increased in the second step, the first and second steps are alternately repeated until it is determined that the popcorn noise falls within a permissible range in the first step, or the current value reaches a specific upper limit.

Abstract: The tape drive control unit administers both computer data and video data that is stored on the same type of data storage media. This is accomplished by determining, when a magnetic tape is mounted in the tape drive, the format that is used to store the data on the magnetic tape media. In the case of video data, the data is directly written on to the magnetic tape media, while for computer data, a header is interposed between a leader portion of the magnetic tape on the 3480-type magnetic tape cartridge and the remainder of the magnetic tape contained therein.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a clock signal phase-synchronized with an input signal includes phase-difference detecting circuitry for detecting a phase difference between an input signal and a clock signal phase-synchronized with the input signal, detecting circuitry for detecting a tendency of an output of the phase-difference detecting circuitry and outputting a signal indicative of the tendency, and adder for adding together an output of the detecting means and the output of the phase-difference detecting circuitry, and an oscillator for receiving an output of the adder and outputting as the clock signal a signal having a frequency corresponding to the output of the adder.

Abstract: In a recording and reproducing apparatus having a simultaneous reproducing function, an adaptive filter outputs a pseudo crosstalk signal which approximates to frequency characteristics of crosstalk components leaking from recording data into a reproduced signal, and a subtractor subtracts the pseudo crosstalk signal from the reproduced signal, thereby canceling the crosstalk components