a video signal recording apparatus is capable of compressing the amount of information of a video signal sequentially containing a plurality of pictures correlated to one another . in this compression , the video signal recording apparatus can selectively assume an intrapicture coding mode for executing compression by using only a correlation within each of pictures of the video signal and an interpicture coding mode for executing compression by using a correlation between a plurality of pictures of the video signal . when a video signal the amount of information of which is compressed is to be recorded on a recording medium , the video signal recording apparatus starts recording with a video signal compressed in the intrapicture coding mode . when a video signal compressed by variable - length coding is to be recorded while sequentially forming a multiplicity of tracks on a recording medium , the video signal recording apparatus begins recording a picture to be recorded immediately after the start of recording , at the forefront of the tracks .