Device and method for concealing an error

A device for concealing an error in an erroneous or potentially erroneous information unit generates output values of a forward decoder and a backward decoder which differ and thus indicate an error-concealment area. The different values for one and the same information unit are examined with regard to a predetermined criterion so as to select that value which meets the predetermined criterion, i.e. which is plausible. Thus, an elimination or reduction of the continuation errors introduced in the decoding of blocks of reversible code words of variable lengths is achieved without impacting the compression rate.