To provide a method of decoding a code series of picture information coded at a high efficiency especially after a motion compensating process of the code series with variably coded motion vector information.

A multiplexing separator 22 separates an incoming motion-compensated predictively coded code series from a code input terminal 21 into predictive residual codes, MV codes and code table select information. The predictive residual codes are given to a variable length decoder 23. The MV codes and the code table select information are given to an MV decoder 25 which reversely processes to the MV coding according to the MV codes and the code table select information and gives obtained MV values to a MV buffer 26. A code table for decoding the MVs is selected and used among a plurality of code tables every MV group according to the code table select information. The MV buffer 26 holds the MVs and gives them when a motion compensating predictor 10 needs.