Abstract

In an adaptive predictive coding apparatus for coding an input television signal so as to perform predictive coding by determining an optimum prediction function among a plurality of prediction functions for each of a plurality of blocks obtained by dividing up a frame of the input television signal, each of the blocks having a plurality of picture elements, and to perform selection of quantizing characteristic and coding control such as subline and subsample coding, data necessary for representing a given prediction function of the plurality of prediction functions and data necessary for representing a prediction error amount per the block for the given prediction function are evaluated. Sums of evaluated data are compared to produce, on a block by block basis, one of the prediction functions which provides a minimal sum as an optimum prediction function.