Apparatus and method for recording or reproducing digital data using speed information

An apparatus and method for controlling recording and reproduction in a video cassette tape recorder are disclosed apparatus is capable of, in a recording mode, separating specific data for speed-varied reproduction from compressed digital video signals, recording them on designated tracks, recording position information of the designated tracks on a control track by an index head or recording position information of recording position-synchronized blocks at the starting portions of the designated tracks recorded with the specific data, and in a speed-varied reproduction mode, controlling a capstan servo speed so as to maintain the travel of a magnetic tape at a normal speed and periodically or non-periodically accelerate or decelerate it where specific data for varied-speed have been recorded periodically or non-periodically on predetermined portions of tracks, thereby making heads travel repeatedly at the normal speed and the high speed and thereby detect continuously the specific tracks for varied-speed. A repeatability of reproduced video at a varied speed is obtained without any deterioration in picture quality, because of recording of the specific data for speed-varied reproduction and the continuous detection of the specific data in the speed-varied reproduction. Apparatus and method for controlling recording and/or reproduction of digital signals to and/or from a digital storage medium, are discussed. According to an embodiment, the method includes receiving digital data, the digital data including video data compressed as at least one of intra-frame and predictive frame, stuffing data, synchronous signals, and relative position information associated with an I-frame; detecting the synchronous signals for decoding the video data; obtaining the video data from the digital data by removing the stuffing data based on stuffing code information; determining a position associated with the I-frame by using the relative position information; determining whether a speed-varied reproduction mode is selected for reproduction of the video data in a varied speed; and reproducing the video data based on the determined position associated with the I-frame, the synchronous signals, and a result of the step of determining whether the speed-varied reproduction mode is selected.