PURPOSE: To make a memory for time base compression of a luminance signal unnecessary and reduce the cost by recording the luminance signal and a color signal, whose time base is compressed, on a recording medium continuously.

CONSTITUTION: An object 11 is supplied to an image pickup tube 21. A signal Y* whose time base is compressed is obtained by the image pickup tube 21 and a luminance signal processing circuit 23. A signal C* whose time base is compressed is obtained by a color signal processing circuit 31, a switch circuit 32, and a memory CCD33. The signal Y* and the signal C* are supplied to a switch circuit 24, and a signal S* having signals Y* and C* alternately is taken out from the circuit 24. This signal S* is supplied to a synthesizing circuit 25, and vertical synchronizing pulses Pv and Ph from a forming circuit 41 are supplied to the circuit 25 and are synthesized with the signal S*, and the synthesized signal S* is supplied to an FM modulating circuit 26. This signal is converted to an FM signal SFM and is supplied to heads 1A and 1B through a recording amplifier 27 and is recorded on a tape.