PURPOSE: To obtain a search picture with natural movement and high resolution by setting an independent field in which an odd number field and an even number field are alternately in existence at a prescribed interval from consecutive fields of a picture signal.

CONSTITUTION: A moving picture signal is stored in a field memory (new) 7 and a field memory (old) 8 directly by 2 fields and the memory content is revised by one field each when a new independent field signal is inputted. Then changeover switches 2, 5 are thrown to the position (b) and the inputted signal is fed to (N-1) field memory 3 at first. A anticipated field is delayed by (N-1) fields to encode the independent field early required for the anticipation. The delayed signal is given to an adaptive anticipation device 4, in which the signal is subtracted with a anticipated signal formed adaptively by the independent filed and a anticipation error is produced. The anticipation error is coded in an in-field coder 6 similarly to the case with the independent field, outputted from a data terminal 9 and recorded or sent.