Abstract: A television signal is encoded by the use of a sampling pulse synchronized with a color subcarrier frequency included in an input television signal, the encoded signal is compressed and recorded in a memory for later reproduction of a desired compressed picture image having a desired size and center position, the recorded signal is reproduced under the control of a clock pulse signal produced in synchronism with a sync signal obtained in a studio, for example, and the reproduced signal is corrected by inverting the polarity of the chroma component according to frame information at the time of recording of said reproduced signal.Thus, it is possible to freely obtain phase coupling of different synchronizing signals; for instance, it is possible to bring the phase of a different television signal of a different synchronization system into coincidence with the phase of a central synchronization signal and it is possible to reproduce an object image optionally compressed on a TV display screen.