Digital video recording device with variable speed reproduction.

摘要

A digital video tape recorder ("VTR") including a recording and playback circuit. The recording circuit selects data useful for generating images during trick playback operation and records the data in trick play tape segments arranged on a tape to form fast scan tracks. Each fast scan track on a tape comprises trick play tape segments located on a diagonal of the same angle as the angle at which the heads of a VTR are expected to pass over the tape during trick play operation. Data which is used for at least one mode of trick play operation is recorded in each trick play tape segment. The data may also be used during normal playback operation. The recording circuit records normal play data in normal play tape segments. Normal play and trick play tape segments may be arranged to form normal play tracks on the tape, each fast scan track crossing multiple normal play tracks. The playback circuit includes a packet filter, a trick play servo control circuit and a VTR command generator circuit. The packet filter reads packet headers of data packets read from the tape and outputs only data packets intended for use during a user selected mode of VTR operation. The trick play servo control circuit controls tracking so that the heads pass over the fast scan tracks at the correct location and angle. The VTR command generator generates commands to a receiver indicating when the VTR is in trick playback mode.