In an 8mm video tape recorder, a VSC signal is recorded at a position as near as possible to the standard position. The period of a switching pulse edge Yn-1 is measured. The period PnT from the switching pulse edge to a PCM data recording end position Pn is also obtained. Subtracting PnT from Yn gives the length Zn from the recording end position of the PCM data to the next switching pulse edge. The length from the PCM data end to the VSC signal record starting position (the recording length of the erase code) En is changed corresponding to the length Zn. <IMAGE>
