In video tape recording apparatus composite video signals are separated into their luminance and chrominance components for processing prior to recording. The luminance components are digitized, adaptively temporal and spatial filtered, and folded into a reduced frequency spectrum to generate a digital signal that is converted to analog form to modulate the frequency of the luminance carrier signal used in video tape recording. The chrominance components are converted to the color-under signals used in video tape recording. In video tape playback apparatus the color-under signals are converted up in frequency to provide chrominance components for inclusion in reproduced composite video signals. Also, in the video tape playback apparatus, the frequency modulation of the luminance carrier signal is detected to recover folded luminance signals which are digitized, time-base-corrected, unfolded, and adaptively temporal and spatial filtered to suppress aliases associated with unfolding to generate a digital signal that is converted to analog form to provide luminance components for inclusion in reproduced composite video signals. The backward compatability of the video tape recordings when playing them back in video tape playback apparatus already in the field is accommodated by de-emphasizing the high frequencies of the luma during recording. The high frequencies of the luma can be re-emphasized during playback to maintain substantially full NTSC or PAL luminance bandwidth.