Abstract: The bit rate control goals for applications using storage devices with the capability to process a variable bit rate data stream differ from the constant bit rate case. Therefore the encoder control strategy is adapted to this situation. For the first e.g. 80% of the total playing time an average bit rate is produced which is e.g. 95% only of the normal average bit rate. For the remaining 20% of the playing time the value for the desired average bit rate ascends to e.g. 150% of the normal value. During the first 80% the virtual buffer size is increased by a factor of e.g. 100 whereas during the last 20% the virtual buffer size descends to the normal value. Thereby an increased decoding quality can be achieved during e.g. 80% of the playing time. In the remaining playing time there is nearly no loss in the normal decoding quality.