Method and apparatus for recording and reproducing data.

摘要

A data recording/reproducing apparatus of the invention records data in a plurality of tracks on a tape like recording medium by using a head unit mounted on a rotational cylinder and reproduces recorded data from the tracks, the tracks having at least two azimuth angles different from one another, and the tracks of the different azimuth angles being alternately located on the recording medium, the apparatus including: a formatter for providing, to each of the tracks, a normal data region to be used in normal reproduction and at least one search data region to be used in reproduction at a standard variable reproduction speed; for grouping the plurality of tracks into track sets each having a predetermined number of tracks, each search data region being located in the same position on a corresponding track included in the track set, and for placing identical search data in the search data region of each track included in the track set. <IMAGE>