Abstract: In a rotary magnetic head helical scan type video tape recorder using a segment recording system, a video signal of one vertical scanning period is divided into n video signal blocks, where n is an integer equal to or larger than 2, and a redundant period having a selected length is inserted into the video signal blocks in a recording mode. Each of the video signal blocks has a number of horizontal scanning lines equal or smaller than N/n, where N is the number of the horizontal scanning lines in a field of the video signal. In a reproducing mode, a time axis error of reproduced series of the video signal blocks is corrected at least during the redunant periods. Then, the corrected blocks are converted into the original video signal.