Abstract: A pattern analyzing portion analyzes a pattern of a detected repeat field and determines whether or not the pattern of the repeat field is continuous. An inverse pull-down controlling portion controls a memory to read video data in such a manner that the repeat field detected by a comparator is removed from input video data in a period that the pattern of the repeat field is continuous. The inverse pull-down controlling portion controls the memory to read video data in such a manner that a repeat field detected by the comparator is not removed from the input video data in a period that the pattern of the repeat field is discontinuous. In other words, an inverse 2:3 pull-down process is controlled corresponding to the continuity of a pattern of a repeat field. In addition, it is determined whether an input original material is a progressive-scanned video material or an interlace-scanned video material corresponding to the continuity of the pattern of the repetitive material.