ABSTRACT
In magnetic tape recording, two approaches have emerged in
which essentially the same medium is tracked in two
different ways: rotary- and stationary-head recorders. Both approaches are
commonly employed in digital audio and data recording, but since the
introduction of the first analog video recorders in the early 50s, rotary-head
recorders (either helical or transverse scan) have held undivided sway in
the video domain. The advent of various new enabling techniques such
as (MPEG) source coding and multi-track heads may affect the hegemony of the
rotary-head machine. The article will appraise both types of transport in an
attempt to establish which approach might be considered for a given application.
Key Words: magnetic recording, video recording