Abstract: A tape handling apparatus comprising rotation detecting means for detecting the rotation of a pair of reel supports, and control means for controlling the operation of a capstan motor and a pinch roller pressing mechanism. When the detecting means detects the supply reel support stopping rotating while a tape is being rewound on the supply reel from the take-up reel, the control means moves a pinch roller away from the capstan and reversely rotates a capstan motor. Consequently, a slack portion of the tape between the capstan and a head cylinder is wound up on the take-up reel by the operation of the take-up reel support.

Abstract: A stop mode setting apparatus which includes a system controller having a time measuring device, and a driver for driving a capstan motor in response to a control signal from the system controller. When given a command for a change from a play mode to a stop mode, the system controller reversibly rotates the capstan motor only for a period of time determined by the time measuring device, thereby causing a swing idler to perform a swinging motion. During this swinging motion, a magnetic tape is moved from the capstan toward a head cylinder and given a suitable slack at the portion thereof between the capstan and the cylinder.

Abstract: A tape speed determining apparatus applied to a video signal reproducing apparatus employing a helical scanning system, a rotating head system and a pilot signal system serves to determine automatically the recording mode of a video tape to be reproduced, in case where two kinds of recording modes, i.e. a standard recording mode and a long recording mode, are applicable and the speed of a video tape differs dependently on the respective recording modes. The tape speed determining apparatus delays by an infinitesimal time "t" the timing for selection of the reference signals f.sub.1 and f.sub.3 out of the reference signal f.sub.1 to f.sub.4 supplied at the time of reproduction, as compared with the reproducing head selection timing. An error signal generated during this delayed time "t" is sampled and held for a frame period.

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing a video signal is adapted to provide a reference signal f.sub.1 corresponding to the frequency of a first pilot signal f.sub.1, in the field period at the time of standard reproducing or in the frame period at the time of long playing reproducing, at the timing of scanning the center portion of a reproducing track by reproducing heads to be mixed with the reproduced pilot signal, and to determine the beat level of the fundamental wave of the error signal while sample-holding the obtained error signal, thereby to discriminate the recording mode by determining the period of this fundamental wave as a function of the rotation detecting output of the capstan. For this purpose, the sampling pulse is provided by means of a first variable frequency dividing circuit and a reference signal generating circuit, so that at the time of standard reproducing, the reference signal f.sub.1 corresponding to the frequency of the first pilot signal f.sub.

Abstract: A video signal reproducing apparatus comprises an error signal forming circuit (31) for providing an error signal (f) for tracking control and a movable head controlling circuit (34) for positioning control of movable heads based on the error signal (f). When still reproduction is started and a still reproduction instructing signal (c) is applied to a four-field pulse generating circuit (35), the movable head controlling circuit (34) is disabled by a detection period signal (d) of the high level in a four-field period provided from the circuit (35) to forbid the positioning control of the movable heads and an error signal (f) is formed by specified pilot signals reproduced from the movable heads where the positioning control is forbidden as well as by reference signals f.sub.1 to f.sub.4 selected successively. A still control signal generating circuit 40 determines and provides as output two reference signals most suitable for still reproduction based on the above stated error signal (f).

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a record mode discrimination circuit for use in a 8 mm video, which is adapted to sample tracking error signals at a field period to input the sample hold out into a hysteresis comparator, and provided with a duty identification circuit wherein, in the case of that the variation component of 15 Hz is produced in the tracking error component, if the duty cycle is out of approximate 50, the switching operation of the reproduction mode is rendered to prohibit on the assumption of existing the unnecessary component of 15 Hz.