Abstract: A digital video and audio file system is provided for use in systems such as a center-to-end video communication system. In the file system, video information, such as a color television video signal, is digitized in such a manner that it is separated into a luminance (Y) signal and a carrier chrominance (C) signal and these separated components are processed by the code differential method and the variable length encoding method. The digital signal thus digitized is recorded in a digital recorder. On the other hand, audio information is digitized by the AD-PCM encoding method and recorded in the same recorder. In encoding the video and the audio information, a part of hardware is used in common for both the signals, thus saving the hardware of the file system.