Abstract: Apparatus and method for recording coded image data which is coded such that frames of image data are intermixed and grouped into predetermined encoding units includes structure and steps for receiving a stop recording command or a start recording command for stopping or starting a recording operation. Structure and steps are provided for stopping or starting recording the coded image data to a recording medium in response to the stop recording command or the start recording command, respectively. Structure and steps are provided for controlling the stopping or starting recording operation to stop or start recording the coded image data at the end of an encoding unit. Preferably, the image data is encoded according to the MPEG standard, and the recording of the image coded data is not stopped/started until an entire encoding block of a Group of Pictures (GOP) is received so that all information packets necessary to decode a complete frame are present before the recording is stopped/started.

Abstract: A coding apparatus includes a blocking unit for gathering and blocking sample values of input signals, an orthogonal-transforming unit for orthogonal-transforming the blocked input signals, a transforming unit for constructing a one-dimensionally arraying block by combining orthogonal-transformed blocks and for arranging the data in the one-dimensionally arraying block in a one-dimensional array, and a coding unit for coding the data of the one-dimensional array from the transforming unit.