High data rate recording for HDTV digital VTR

A metal-particle tape and sputtered amorphous-on-ferrite (SAF) head with a lamination structure are examined at 150 Mb/s. The C/N of 31 dB achieved at this high bit rate ensures a word error rate of less than 5*10/sup -5/. It is shown to be feasible to record at a bit rate of 180 Mb/s (135 kb/cm). Flying AC erase using an SAF head at a frequency lower than half of the bit frequency is effective for this type of high-data-rate recorder. These recording techniques establish the fundamental feasibility of digital video tape recorders for high-definition TV at 1.2 Gb/s.>