Method and apparatus for encoding an image signal using a multi-stage quantizing number determiner.

摘要

A quantizing number is determined using multiple stages of code amount estimating circuits. Thus, an optimum quantizing number may be selected from among a number of quantizing numbers which is not limited to the number of code amount estimating circuits (53-3, 53-7, 53-11, 54, 56k, 56k+1, 56k+2, 55). The optimum quantizing number is used to quantize a set of blocks of orthogonally transformed image data. The quantized data are encoded using a variable length code. The optimum quantizing number is the one which results in the greatest amount of data that is within a predetermined threshold, permitting an amount of encoded data to be recorded on a magnetic tape in a fixed format.