Head switching in high resolution video reproduction apparatus

Claim 1

Video reproduction apparatus comprising: circuit means for providing a field of a color video signal having a plurality of horizontal lines in a time-division-multiplex (TDM) format including a compressed horizontal sync service signal and compressed video component signals arranged in time sequential order, said field including a first set of horizontal line signals representing the upper half of said field and a second set of horizontal line signals representing the lower half of said field; means for producing a head switch signal in the compressed horizontal sync service signal of designated horizontal line signal at the end of the first set of horizontal line signals; magnetic transducer means for recording said TDM format color video signal on magnetic tape such that said first set of horizontal line signals are recorded on a first track on said tape and said second set of horizontal line signals are recorded on a second adjacent track on said tape; said magnetic transducer means being operable in a playback mode for sequentially reproducing said first and second sets of horizontal line signals respectively from said first and second tracks on said tape and for providing said first and second sets of signal to first and second input paths; switch means electrically coupled between said first and second input paths and an output path; and means for detecting said head switch signal in said designated horizontal line at the end of said first set of horizontal line signals and for actuating said switch means to switch the video signal applied to said output path between said first and second input paths such that said switch between paths is effected during the horizontal sync service interval of said designated horizontal line signal containing said head switch signal.