PURPOSE: To reduce a skew distortion phenomenon, by giving precedence in terms of time to the position of a phase jump generated at a joint of reproduced outputs when a special reproduction is carried out.

CONSTITUTION: Main heads A and B are set with a space of 180° azimuth angle and used when a magnetic tape is reproduced at a stardard speed. While auxiliary heads A' and A" for special reproduction have the same azimuth as the head A. The video signal demodulated by a demodulator 1 is applied to a switch S5 and a synchronism separating circuit 2. A delay circuit 5 deplays the input signal, and the output of the circuit 5 is applied to a contact D of the switch S5 as a delayed horizontal synchronizing signal. A switch S4 is connected to a contact F in a special reproduction mode. Then the pulse applied from an OR circuit 17 is supplied to the S5 in the special reproduction mode, and the S5 is switched to the contact D. Therefore the horizontal synchronizing signal is replaced with a horizontal synchronizing signal which is under reproduction for a prescribed period from a point immediately before switching points of heads A' and A" for an output terminal 7.