Apparatus and method for discriminating between analog and digital video signals in high definition video cassette recorder

An apparatus and a method for discriminating between analog and digital video signals in a high definition VCR are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a playback amplification circuit for amplifying a video signal recorded on a tape played back by a head when a playback mode is selected by the user, a signal detection circuit for detecting a signal from an output signal from the playback amplification circuit, the detected signal being indicative of whether the video signal recorded on the tape is analog or digital, a mode switching control circuit for discriminating in response to an output signal from the signal detection circuit whether the video signal recorded on the tape is analog or digital and outputting a mode switching control signal in accordance with the discriminated result, a switch being switched in response to the mode switching control signal from the mode switching control circuit, and analog and digital playback circuits for playback-processing the output signal from the playback amplification circuit under the control of the switch.