A video recording apparatus includes a tuner for receiving television broadcast waves, an intermediate frequency circuit for demodulating intermediate frequency (IF) signals outputted from the tuner into video signals, a video recorder for recording the video signals outputted from the intermediate frequency circuit on a recording medium, detecting means for detecting an IF AGC level or a level of noise contained in the video signals so as to detect radio field strength of an analog broadcast waves, and control means for setting of a recording mode defining a level of recording image quality at the video recorder. The control means output a mode setting signal to the video recorder in accordance with the radio field strength detected by the detecting means. The video recorder operates with the level of recording image quality dependent on the mode setting signal outputted from the control means. By such a configuration, recording can be performed in an appropriate mode, i.e., in a high quality image mode when the radio waves reception is good and in a low quality image mode when the radio waves reception is poor. Thus, the recording medium in the video recorder can be used efficiently.