Abstract: A magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus in which at least two recording and reproducing magnetic heads are mounted on a rotatable cylinder with an angular distnce of 180.degree. therebetween, wherein audio signals having undergone a pulse code modulation are recorded on record tracks slanted relative to the longitudinal direction of a magnetic tape wrapped around the rotatable cylinder. The record track is divided trackwise into a plurality of channels. The audio signals are recorded on the channel basis. The magnetic tape is transported in a forward or backward direction while recording or reproduction is conducted. The rotatable cylinder has mounted thereon a first erasing head rendered operative when the magnetic tape is transported in the forward direction and a second erasing head operative when the magnetic tape is transported in the backward direction for erasing only the audio signal of a given channel on the record track.

Abstract: In a two-head helical scan type video signal recording and reproducing apparatus, gaps of the two heads are angled to each other to increase a record density. In such an apparatus, when the recorded signal is reproduced while the magnetic tape is stationary, that is, in a still image reproduction mode, the signal on the track recorded by the head having a different gap angle is not reproduced by that head. When the magnetic tape is stopped, the trace locus of the head does not align with the record track, which makes the reproduction of high quality of still image difficult. In the still image reproduction mode, tracking is improved to enable the reproduction of a high quality still image signal by displacing the heads transversely to the direction of trace.

Abstract: A video signal reproducing system comprising means for driving a web of recording medium such as a tape at a constant speed, a self-scanned linear photoelectronic image device disposed for scanning in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the recording medium, a clock pulse generator for applying clock pulses to this image device, and a light source for illuminating the recording medium, whereby information optically recorded on the recording medium can be scanned in a two-dimensional fashion to reproduce a video signal such as a television signal.