Abstract: An information recording apparatus has a stop mode in which only recording means comprised of a rotatable drum on which a recording head is mounted and recording medium driving means comprised of a capstan/pinch roller are stopped, which stop mode can be changed from a record temporary stop mode. During the stop mode of the recording means and the recording medium driving means, a video signal photo-taken by a camera of the information recording apparatus can be outputted externally, and, change to the stop mode is made effective by a combination of user's selection and/or presence/absence of an external connection device.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus has a stop mode in which only recording means comprised of a rotatable drum on which a recording head is mounted and recording medium driving means comprised of a capstan/pinch roller are stopped, which stop mode can be changed from a record temporary stop mode. During the stop mode of the recording means and the recording medium driving means, a video signal photo-taken by a camera of the information recording apparatus can be outputted externally, and, change to the stop mode is made effective by a combination of user's selection and/or presence/absence of an external connection device.

Abstract: The invention discloses radio frequency zero crossing signal generators for optical disc drives, comprising a controllable low pass filter, a comparator, and a control circuit. The controllable low pass filter evaluates an average level of the magnitude of a radio frequency ripple from an optical disc drive. The comparator compares the radio frequency ripple to the average level evaluated by the controllable low pass filter to generate a radio frequency zero crossing signal. When the optical disc drive reads a fingerprint defect on an optical disc, the control circuit adjusts a cut-off frequency of the controllable low pass filter to adjust the speed at which the controllable low pass filter evaluates the average level.