PURPOSE: To efficiently perform a fast forward reproduction.
CONSTITUTION: A sample track decision part 10 decides whether the value of a track number register 7 is pertinent to the track number of a preliminarily fixed sample track or not. When the value of the track number register 7 is decided to be pertinent to the track number of the sample track by the sample track decision part 10, a compression method switch part 11 connects an original image frame memory 2 with an intra-frame image compression part 3. When the value of the track number register 7 is decided not to be pertinent to the track number of the sample track by the sample track decision part 10, the original image frame memory 2 is connected with an inter-frame image compression part 4.