PURPOSE: To retrieve a stored picture at a high speed in the picture signal processing unit in which conversion data obtained by converting picture information to a frequency region is quantized and picture data resulting from the quantized conversion data subject to variable length coding are stored and reproduced.

CONSTITUTION: A recording medium 22 stores coding data and outputs the coding data in parallel at a high speed and a decoding circuit 24 detects a code length in the unit of a prescribed period by decoding the coding data outputted from the recording medium 22. A memory 30 stores the coding data outputted from the recording medium 22 during decoding by the decoding circuit 24. A read position/quantity control circuit 26 reads the coding data stored in the memory 30 while controlling the read position and quantity and a decoding circuit 32 decodes the coding data read from the memory 30.