PURPOSE: To detect the amount of remaining tape speedily and accurately by recording a continuous code where a time code decreases monotonously from the starting point to the end point of a constant-speed running.
CONSTITUTION: A tape running circuit 5 rotates a capstan motor at a constant- speed of n-times faster than normal speed for a tape which is wound up to the starting edge of the tape, thus running the tape. A control part 4 measures the time while the tape is running until the tape reaches the end, thus calculating the total recordable time of a video tape 2. Then, the tape 2 is wound to the starting edge of the tape 2 again and time code is recorded. Then, a time code processing part 3 generates the time code so that the total recordable time can be written into a track exclusively for the remaining time code of the tape 2. The time code decreases successively and the time code can be recorded so that the value decreases from the starting edge of the tape to the final edge when recording is made so that 0 results at the tape starting edge and the amount of remaining tape can be calculated speedily and accurately by reading it.
OTA YUTAKA
SAWADA MASAKO