PURPOSE: To eliminate vertical fluctuation of picture, by replacing a vertical synchronizing signal lost in the dropout part with a virtual vertcal synchronizing signal formed through the delay of the vertical synchronizing signal without dropout arisen once per two fields.

CONSTITUTION: A video signal (a) is inputted to a Synchless circuit 3 and the dropout is detected. The video signal is inputted to a vertical synchronizing separation circuit 5 and a vertical synchronizing signal is picked up. A delay circuit 6 inverts the output a prescribed time after the input of the vertical synchronizing signal. When the output of the delay circuit is inverted, if an output of the circuit 3 exisits, a capstan stop signal is outputted from a capstan stop signal generator 4. The inversion of the output of the delay circuit 6 is given to the next vertical blanking period. After the generation of the capstan stop signal, the dropout is given to the vertical blanking period and excellent still reproduction can be obtained.