Apparatus and method for image coding and recording/reproducing

Abstract

An image coding and recording/reproducing apparatus for encoding video signals using variable-length coding and for recording the video signals in units of fixed-length sync blocks includes: an orthogonal transform unit for performing an orthogonal transform on each transformation block including a plurality of pixels and for obtaining orthogonal transform coefficients for each transformation block; a coding processor for generating encoded data for each encoding group including a plurality of the transformation blocks, the encoded data being obtained by variable-length encoding the orthogonal transform coefficients of each transformation block and by arranging the resultant encoded transform coefficients in the order of increasing component frequency starting with a low frequency component; a storing processor for dividing a plurality of the sync blocks into low frequency sync blocks and high frequency sync blocks, each of the low frequency sync blocks being assigned with one of the encoding groups, a first portion of the encoded data of the encoding group being stored in the corresponding low frequency sync block from a beginning to an Lth bit, a second portion of the encoded data at a (L+1)th bit and beyond being stored in the high frequency sync blocks in a prescribed order; and a recording unit for recording the low frequency sync blocks and the high frequency sync blocks which store the encoded data therein on a recording medium.