ENCODING MODE SELECTING METHOD, MOVING IMAGE ENCODING DEVICE, ENCODING METHOD, RECORDING METHOD AND TRANSMITTING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To exactly select a motion compensating mode by actually calculating a total code amount including the motion vectors of a moving image signal to be encoded in respective modes beforehand. SOLUTION: An image memory 142 stores at least two pieces of image data and outputs respective macro blocks for reference. Besides, these macro blocks are outputted to a motion vector detector 146 for motion vector detection and a mode decider 150 for mode decision. At the motion vector detector 146, the area most similar to the current macro block is found out of a reference frame by using a predictive error, for example. The motion vector detector 146 is composed of a forward detector 146F, bidirectional detector 146M and backward detector 146B and forward, bidirectional and backward motion vectors are respectively detected and outputted to a motion compensating mode selector 148 together with that predictive error. The motion compensating mode selector 148 selects the mode with the least predictive error.