A consumer use digital VCR for the digital broadcasting has been developed. record the compressed digital video signal. The maximum recording data rate is 25 Mbps. This VCR can INTRODUCTION The digital broadcasting service started in last June. To meet the demand for early realization of a VCR for this service, we have developed a prototype consumer digital VCR for the digital broadcasting. This VCR records the transmitted packet data of the compressed digital video signal with the conditional access. Since the VCR uses a current consumer-use VCR tape, it enables the low cost digital VCR which has the compatibility with a current analog VCR. BASIC SPECIFICATIONS Table 1 shows the basic specifications of the digital VCR. The VCR works on several recording data rate modes without changing a drum revolution speed. The maximum recording data rate is 25 Mbps. A maximum recording time is eight hours at the 6.25 Mbps recording mode. OUTLINE OF THE DIGITAL VCR Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of the digital VCR for the digital broadcasting system. At recording, the receiver sends the packet data to the VCR. The recording signal processor of the VCR converts the packet data into track format of the VCR.(Fig. 2) The track format comprises a block structure that each block consists of sync. code, ID code, the packet data and error correction codes. These block data are recorded on the tape by the rotary heads, Fig. 3 shows the error correction code configuration. The VCR uses the triply encoded Reed-Solomon code for error correction. An uncorrectable error probability of less than 1 X lo-'' has been obtained when a byte error rate is 1 x At playback, the reproduced signal processor corrects the errors and converts the data back into the packet structure of the digital broadcasting system. Recording data are modulated based on scrambled NRZI. Total recording bit rate after modulation is 18.6 Mbps per channel. A byte error rate of less than 1 X has been obtained. CONCLUSION A prototype digital VCR for the digital broadcasting has been developed. We have confirmed that it is possible to produce a low cost consumer digital VCR with current VCR technology. 0-7803-2140-5195 $3.00 ' 1995 IEEE 228 Table 1 Basic Specifications of the Digital VCR Mode I Recording data r a t e Maximum recording t ime Record i ng data 6.25 Mbps 8 hours MPEG b i t stream II m Video & Audio Cond it i ona I DeAccess Compression -* > Tuner + Demod + ~ ~ ~ ~ c t i o n +