Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing a magnetically recorded video signal utilizes reproduced pilot signals not only for tracking control but also for detection of the recording mode of a signal being reproduced. More specifically, the above described video signal reproducing apparatus examines for a prescribed period a fundamental cycle of a comparing signal generated by reproduced pilot signals and reference signals mixed in the reproduced pilot signals so that the recording mode can be determined based on the number of times in which the fundamental cycle is repeated in the prescribed period. For the above described purposes, a pulse output corresponding to the fundamental cycle of a tracking signal is provided by using a level detecting circuit (30) , a first differentiating circuit (31), a first frequency dividing circuit ( 33), a second differentiating circuit (34) and a flip-flop (32).