Method and Apparatus for Converting Color Component Type of Picture Signals, Method and Apparatus for Converting Compression Format of Picture Signals and System for Providing Picture Signals of a Required Compression Format

1. A picture signal converting apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving a digital picture signal of a 4:1:1 color component type for each of pixels of a frame, the digital picture signals being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; color difference signal converting means for directly converting color difference signals of the digital picture signals received by the receiving means into converted color difference signals of converted digital picture signals of a 4:2:0 color component type by removing color difference signals on every other row from the color difference signals of the digital picture signals to halve the number of color difference signals in a y direction, adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in an x direction to double the number of color difference signals in the x direction and setting the color difference signals, of which the number is halved in the y direction and is doubled in the x direction, as the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type, and setting values of the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type according to values of the color difference signals of the digital picture signals received by the receiving means; and outputting means for combining luminance signals of the digital picture signals received by the receiving means and the converted color difference signals of the converted digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type obtained by the color difference signal converting means for each pixel of the frame to produce digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type and outputting the digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

2. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 1 in which the color difference signals of the digital picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type received by the receiving means are placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system, the color difference signal converting means comprises: y-directional signal halving means for removing color difference signals on every other row from the color difference signals of the digital picture signals to halve the number of color difference signals in the y direction; and x-directional signal doubling means for adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals which are obtained by the y-directional signal halving means and are adjacent to each other in an X direction, setting a value of one added color difference signal to a value of one color difference signal adjacent to the added color difference signal in the x direction for each added color difference signal to double the number of color difference signals obtained by the y-directional signal halving means in the x direction and outputting the color difference signals as the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

3. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 1 in which the color difference signals of the digital picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type received by the receiving means are placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system, the color difference signal converting means comprises: signal value setting means for setting values of two color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)) adjacent to each other in the y direction to an average of values of the color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)) for each pair of color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)); y-directional signal halving means for removing color difference signals on every other row from the color difference signals, of which the values are set by the signal value setting means, to halve the number of color difference signals in the y direction; and x-directional signal doubling means for adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals which are obtained by the y-directional signal halving means and are adjacent to each other in an X direction, setting a value of one added color difference signal to a value of a color difference signal adjacent to the added color difference signal in the x direction for each added color difference signal to double the number of color difference signals obtained by the y-directional signal halving means in the x direction and outputting the color difference signals as the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

4. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 1 in which the color difference signals of the digital picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type received by the receiving means are placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system, the color difference signal converting means comprises: signal value setting means for setting values of two color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)) adjacent to each other in the y direction to an average of values of the color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)) for each pair of color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)); y-directional signal halving means for removing color difference signals on every other row from the color difference signals, of which the values are set by the signal value setting means, to halve the number of color difference signals in the y direction; and x-directional signal doubling means for adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals which are obtained by the y-directional signal halving means and are adjacent to each other in an X direction, setting a value of one added color difference signal to an interpolated value of the values of the color difference signals placed on both sides of the added color difference signal in the x direction for each added color difference signal to double the number of color difference signals obtained by the y-directional signal halving means in the x direction and outputting the color difference signals as the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

5. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 4 in which the interpolated value of the values of the color difference signals set by the x-directional signal doubling means is an average of the values of the color difference signals.

6. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 1 in which the color difference signals of the digital picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type received by the receiving means are placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system, the color difference signal converting means comprises: average value calculating means for calculating a first average of values of two color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)) adjacent to each other in the y direction and a second average of values of two color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x+1,2y) and (x+1,2y+1) (or (x+1,2y+1) and (x+1,2y+2)) adjacent to each other in the y direction for each group of color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y), (x,2y+1), (x+1,2y) and (x+1,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1), (x,2y+2), (x+1,2y+1) and (x+1,2y+2)); interpolated value calculating means for calculating a first interpolated value obtained by weighting the first and second averages calculated by the average value calculating means at a first weighting ratio and a second interpolated value obtained by weighting the first and second averages at a second weighting ratio for each pair of first and second averages; signal value setting means for setting the first interpolated value calculated by the interpolated value calculating means as values of the color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)); y-directional signal halving means for removing color difference signals on every other row from the color difference signals, of which the values are set by the signal value setting means, to halve the number of color difference signals in the y direction; and x-directional signal doubling means for adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in an X direction, setting a value of one added color difference signal to the second interpolated value calculated by the interpolated value calculating means for each added color difference signal to double the number of color difference signals obtained by the y-directional signal halving means in the x direction and outputting the color difference signals as the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

7. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: luminance signal storing means for storing a plurality of luminance signals of the digital picture signals received by the receiving means, pixels of the luminance signals being placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y luminance co-ordinate system; and referential luminance signal extracting means for extracting a plurality of luminance signals corresponding to the color difference signals directly converted by the color difference signal converting means from the luminance signal storing means as a plurality of referential luminance signals, values of the converted color difference signals obtained by the color difference signal converting means being determined according to values of the referential luminance signals.

8. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 6 in which the color difference signals of the digital picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type received by the receiving means are placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system, the color difference signal converting means comprises: average value calculating means for calculating an average of values of two color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) adjacent to each other in the y direction for each pair of color difference signals; weighting factor calculating means for obtaining the referential luminance signals extracted by the referential luminance signal extracting means as first referential luminance signals on condition that the first referential luminance signals correspond to the color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x+1,2y), calculating a first weighting factor and a second weighting factor from values of the first referential luminance signals, obtaining the referential luminance signals extracted by the referential luminance signal extracting means as second referential luminance signals on condition that the second referential luminance signals correspond to the color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y+1) and (x+1,2y+1) and calculating a third weighting factor and a fourth weighting factor from values of the second referential luminance signals; interpolated value calculating means for calculating a first multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y) by the first weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means, calculating a second multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y) by the second weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means, calculating a third multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y+1) by the third weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means, calculating a fourth multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y+1) by the fourth weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means and calculating an interpolated value from the first, second, third and fourth multiplied values; signal value setting means for setting each average calculated by the average value calculating means as values of the color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1); y-directional signal halving means for removing color difference signals on every other row from the color difference signals, of which the values are set by the signal value setting means, to halve the number of color difference signals in the y direction; and x-directional signal doubling means for adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in an X direction, setting a value of one added color difference signal to the interpolated value calculated by the interpolated value calculating means for each added color difference signal to double the number of color difference signals obtained by the y-directional signal halving means in the x direction and outputting the color difference signals as the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

9. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 6 in which the color difference signals of the digital picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type received by the receiving means are placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system, the color difference signal converting means comprises: weighting factor calculating means for obtaining the referential luminance signals extracted by the referential luminance signal extracting means as first referential luminance signals on condition that the first referential luminance signals correspond to the color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x+1,2y), calculating a first weighting factor, a second weighting factor, a third weighting factor and a fourth weighting factor from values of the first referential luminance signals, obtaining the referential luminance signals extracted by the referential luminance signal extracting means as second referential luminance signals on condition that the second referential luminance signals correspond to the color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y+1) and (x+1,2y+1) and calculating a fifth weighting factor and a sixth weighting factor, a seventh weighting factor and an eighth weighting factor from values of the second referential luminance signals; interpolated value calculating means for calculating a first multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y) by the first weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means, calculating a second multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y) by the second weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means, calculating a third multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y+1) by the fifth weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means, calculating a fourth multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y+1) by the sixth weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means, calculating a first interpolated value from the first, second, third and fourth multiplied values, calculating a fifth multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y) by the third weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means, calculating a sixth multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y) by the fourth weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means, calculating a seventh multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y+1) by the seventh weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means, calculating an eighth multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y+1) by the eighth weighting factor obtained by the weighting factor calculating means, calculating a second interpolated value from the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth multiplied values; signal value setting means for setting the first interpolated value calculated by the interpolated value calculating means as values of the color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1); y-directional signal halving means for removing color difference signals on every other row from the color difference signals, of which the values are set by the signal value setting means, to halve the number of color difference signals in the y direction; and x-directional signal doubling means for adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals which are obtained by the y-directional signal halving means and are adjacent to each other in an X direction, setting a value of one added color difference signal to the second interpolated value calculated by the interpolated value calculating means for each added color difference signal to double the number color difference signals obtained by the y-directional signal halving means in the x direction and outputting the color difference signals as the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

10. A picture signal converting method, comprising the steps of: receiving a digital picture signal of a 4:1:1 color component type for each of pixels of a frame; extracting color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system (x=0,1,2,3, - - - , and y=0,1,2,3, - - - ) from the digital picture signals; halving the number of color difference signals in a y direction by removing color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,2y) of even-numbered y values or co-ordinates (x,2y+1) of odd-numbered y values; doubling the number of color difference signals in an x direction by adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in the X direction; setting a value of one added color difference signal to a value of one color difference signal adjacent to the added color difference signal in the x direction for each added color difference signal to produce converted color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type from the color difference signals in which the number of converted color difference signals is halved in the y direction as compared with the number of color difference signals and the number of converted color difference signal is doubled in the x direction as compared with the number of color difference signals; combining the converted color difference signals and luminance signals of the digital picture signals to produce digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; and outputting the digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

11. A picture signal converting method, comprising the steps of: receiving a digital picture signal of a 4:1:1 color component type for each of pixels of a frame; extracting color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system (x=0,1,2,3, - - - , and y=0,1,2,3, - - - ) from the digital picture signals; calculating an average of values of two color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)) adjacent to each other in a y direction for each pair of color difference signals; setting each average as values of the color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)); halving the number of color difference signals in the y direction by removing color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,2y) of even-numbered y values or co-ordinates (x,2y+1) of odd-numbered y values; doubling the number of color difference signals in an x direction by adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in the X direction; setting a value of one added color difference signal to a value of one color difference signal adjacent to the added color difference signal in the x direction for each added color difference signal to produce converted color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type from the color difference signals in which the number of converted color difference signals is halved in the y direction as compared with the number of color difference signals and the number of converted color difference signal is doubled in the x direction as compared with the number of color difference signals; combining the converted color difference signals and luminance signals of the digital picture signals to produce digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; and outputting the digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

12. A picture signal converting method, comprising the steps of: receiving a digital picture signal of a 4:1:1 color component type for each of pixels of a frame; extracting color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system (x=0,1,2,3, - - - , and y=0,1,2,3, - - - ) from the digital picture signals; calculating an average of values of two color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)) adjacent to each other in a y direction for each pair of color difference signals; setting each average as values of the color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)); halving the number of color difference signals in the y direction by removing color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,2y) of even-numbered y values or co-ordinates (x,2y+1) of odd-numbered y values; adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in an X direction to double the number of color difference signals in the x direction; setting a value of one added color difference signal to an interpolated value of the values of the color difference signals placed on both sides of the added color difference signal in the x direction for each added color difference signal to produce converted color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type from the color difference signals in which the number of converted color difference signals is halved in the y direction as compared with the number of color difference signals and the number of converted color difference signal is doubled in the x direction as compared with the number of color difference signals; combining the converted color difference signals and luminance signals of the digital picture signals to produce digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; and outputting the digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

13. A picture signal converting method, comprising the steps of: receiving a digital picture signal of a 4:1:1 color component type for each of pixels of a frame; extracting color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system (x=0,1,2,3, - - - , and y=0,1,2,3, - - - ) from the digital picture signals; calculating a first average of values of two color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)) adjacent to each other in a y direction and a second average of values of two color difference signals of co-ordinates (x+1,2y) and (x+1,2y+1) (or (x+1,2y+1) and (x+1,2y+2)) adjacent to each other in the y direction for each group of color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y), (x,2y+1), (x+1,2y) and (x+1,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1), (x,2y+2), (x+1,2y+1) and (x+1,2y+2)); calculating a first interpolated value obtained by weighting the first and second averages at a first weighting ratio and a second interpolated value obtained by weighting the first and second averages at a second weighting ratio for each pair of first and second averages; setting the first interpolated value as values of the color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) (or (x,2y+1) and (x,2y+2)); halving the number of color difference signals in the y direction by removing color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,2y) of even-numbered y values or co-ordinates (x,2y+1) of odd-numbered y values; adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in an X direction to double the number of color difference signals in the x direction; setting a value of one added color difference signal to the second interpolated value for each added color difference signal to produce converted color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type from the color difference signals in which the number of converted color difference signals is halved in the y direction as compared with the number of color difference signals and the number of converted color difference signal is doubled in the x direction as compared with the number of color difference signals; combining the converted color difference signals and luminance signals of the digital picture signals to produce digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; and outputting the digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

14. A picture signal converting method, comprising the steps of: receiving a digital picture signal of a 4:1:1 color component type for each of pixels of a frame; extracting color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system (x=0,1,2,3, - - - , and y=0,1,2,3, - - - ) from the digital picture signals; calculating an average of values of two color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1) adjacent to each other in the y direction for each pair of color difference signals; extracting luminance signals placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y luminance co-ordinate system from the digital picture signals as first referential luminance signals on condition that the first referential luminance signals correspond to the color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x+1,2y); calculating a first weighting factor and a second weighting factor from values of the first referential luminance signals; extracting other luminance signals of the X-Y luminance co-ordinate system from the digital picture signals as second referential luminance signals on condition that the second referential luminance signals correspond to the color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y+l) and (x+1,2y+1); calculating a third weighting factor and a fourth weighting factor from values of the second referential luminance signals; calculating a first multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y) by the first weighting factor, calculating a second multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y) by the second weighting factor, calculating a third multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y+l) by the third weighting factor, calculating a fourth multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y+1) by the fourth weighting factor and calculating an interpolated value from the first, second, third and fourth multiplied values; setting each average as values of the color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1); halving the number of color difference signals in the y direction by removing color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,2y) of even-numbered y values or co-ordinates (x,2y+l) of odd-numbered y values; adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in an X direction to double the number of color difference signals in the x direction; setting a value of one added color difference signal to the interpolated value for each added color difference signal to produce converted color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type from the color difference signals in which the number of converted color difference signals is halved in the y direction as compared with the number of color difference signals and the number of converted color difference signal is doubled in the x direction as compared with the number of color difference signals; combining the converted color difference signals and luminance signals of the digital picture signals to produce digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; and outputting the digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

15. A picture signal converting method, comprising the steps of: receiving a digital picture signal of a 4:1:1 color component type for each of pixels of a frame; extracting color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y co-ordinate system (x=0,1,2,3, - - - , and y=0,1,2,3, - - - ) from the digital picture signals; extracting luminance signals placed at co-ordinates (x,y) of an X-Y luminance co-ordinate system from the digital picture signals as first referential luminance signals on condition that the first referential luminance signals correspond to the color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x+1,2y); calculating a first weighting factor, a second weighting factor, a third weighting factor and a fourth weighting factor from values of the first referential luminance signals; extracting other luminance signals from the digital picture signals as second referential luminance signals on condition that the second referential luminance signals correspond to the color difference signals of co-ordinates (x,2y+1) and (x+1,2y+1); calculating a fifth weighting factor and a sixth weighting factor, a seventh weighting factor and an eighth weighting factor from values of the second referential luminance signals; calculating a first multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y) by the first weighting factor; calculating a second multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y) by the second weighting factor; calculating a third multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y+1) by the fifth weighting factor; calculating a fourth multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y+1) by the sixth weighting factor; calculating a first interpolated value from the first, second, third and fourth multiplied values; calculating a fifth multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y) by the third weighting factor; calculating a sixth multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y) by the fourth weighting factor; calculating a seventh multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x,2y+1) by the seventh weighting factor; calculating an eighth multiplied value by multiplying the value of the color difference signal of the co-ordinates (x+1,2y+1) by the eighth weighting factor; calculating a second interpolated value from the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth multiplied values; setting the first interpolated value as values of the color difference signals of the co-ordinates (x,2y) and (x,2y+1); halving the number of color difference signals in the y direction by removing color difference signals placed at co-ordinates (x,2y) of even-numbered y values or co-ordinates (x,2y+1) of odd-numbered y values; adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in an X direction to double the number of color difference signals in the x direction; setting a value of one added color difference signal to the second interpolated value for each added color difference signal to produce converted color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type from the color difference signals in which the number of converted color difference signals is halved in the y direction as compared with the number of color difference signals and the number of converted color difference signal is doubled in the x direction as compared with the number of color difference signals; combining the converted color difference signals and luminance signals of the digital picture signals to produce digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; and outputting the digital picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

16. A picture signal converting apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving a digital picture signal compressed in a first format for each of pixels of a frame; picture decoding means for decoding the digital picture signals received by the receiving means to produce a plurality of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:1:1 color component type, the non-compressed picture signals being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; component signal converting means for directly converting color difference signals of the non-compressed picture signals obtained by the picture decoding means into converted color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type by removing color difference signals on every other row from the color difference signals of the non-compressed picture signals to halve the number of color difference signals in a y direction and adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in an x direction to double the number of color difference signals in the x direction, setting values of the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type according to values of the color difference signals of the non-compressed picture signals obtained by the picture decoding means and combining luminance signals of the non-compressed picture signals obtained by the picture decoding means and the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type obtained by the color difference signal converting means for each pixel of the frame to produce non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; picture coding means for coding the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type obtained by the component signal converting means to produce a plurality of digital picture signals compressed in a second format different from the first format; and output means for outputting the digital picture signals compressed in the second format obtained by the picture coding means.

17. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 16 in which the first format of the digital picture signals received by the receiving means is a DVC format, the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format being obtained by performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:1:1 color component type to obtain a block of DCT coefficients from each block of non-compressed picture signals, quantizing each block of DCT coefficients to obtain a block of quantized values from each block of DCT coefficients, coding each block of quantized values to obtain a block of variable-length codes from each block of quantized values and recording each block of variable-length codes as the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format, and the second format of the digital picture signals obtained by the picture coding means is a moving picture experts group (MPEG) format in which a time-redundancy between frames is reduced by performing a motion compensation, a space-redundancy in each frame is reduced by performing a discrete cosine transform and a code volume is reduced by performing a variable length coding.

18. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 16 in which the picture decoding means comprises preparing means for deshuffling the digital picture signals to rearrange the digital picture signals; variable-length decoding means for performing a variable-length decoding for the digital picture signals deshuffled by the preparing means to produce a plurality of quantized values; inverted quantization means for performing an inverted quantization for the quantized values produced by the variable-length decoding means to produce a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type; and inverted DCT processing means for performing an inverted DCT processing for each block of DCT coefficients produced by the inverted quantization means to produce a plurality of blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, and the picture coding means comprises an input buffer for storing the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type produced by the component signal converting means as picture signals of a current frame frame by frame, the non-compressed picture signals being classified into a plurality of blocks of non-compressed picture signals respectively corresponding to a block of the current frame; DCT compressing means for performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer to obtain a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients and quantizing the DCT coefficients to obtain a plurality of blocks of quantized values; inverted DCT expanding means for performing an inverted DCT processing for the blocks of DCT coefficients obtained by the DCT compressing means to reproduce the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; frame picture storing means for storing each block of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type reproduced by the inverted DCT expanding means as picture signals of a block of a referential frame, other non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type corresponding to a frame succeeding to the referential frame being stored in the input buffer; motion predicting means for calculating a motion vector indicating the motion of a picture according to one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame stored in the input buffer and the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type of the referential frame stored in the frame picture storing means for each block of the current frame and calculating an inter-frame difference between one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame and a corresponding block of non-compressed picture signals of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector for each block of the current frame; coding selecting means for selecting a type of coding performed for the quantized values of the current frame obtained by the DCT compressing means; variable length coding means for performing a variable length coding for the quantized values obtained by the DCT compressing means according to the coding type selected by the coding selecting means, the motion vectors and the inter-frame differences calculated by the motion predicting means to produce pieces of variable length coded data; and structure coding means for producing the digital picture signals compressed in the second format from the variable length coded data obtained by the variable length coding means.

19. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 16 in which the picture coding means comprises an input buffer for storing the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type produced by the component signal converting means as picture signals of a current frame frame by frame, the non-compressed picture signals being classified into a plurality of blocks of non-compressed picture signals respectively corresponding to a block of the current frame; DCT compressing means for performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer to obtain a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients and quantizing the DCT coefficients to obtain a plurality of blocks of quantized values; inverted DCT expanding means for performing an inverted DCT processing for the blocks of DCT coefficients obtained by the DCT compressing means to reproduce the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; frame picture storing means for storing each block of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type reproduced by the inverted DCT expanding means as picture signals of a block of a referential frame, other non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type corresponding to a frame succeeding to the referential frame being stored in the input buffer; motion predicting means for calculating a motion vector indicating the motion of a picture according to one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame stored in the input buffer and the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type of the referential frame stored in the frame picture storing means for each block of the current frame and calculating an inter-frame difference between one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame and a corresponding block of non-compressed picture signals of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector for each block of the current frame; and coding means for coding the quantized values obtained by the DCT compressing means by using the motion vectors and the inter-frame differences calculated by the motion predicting means to produce the digital picture signals compressed in the second format, the motion predicting means comprises hierarchy picture producing means for producing a plurality of current hierarchy pictures of different resolutions from a current original picture of each block of the current frame indicated by one block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer and producing a plurality of referential hierarchy pictures from a referential original picture of each block of the referential frame indicated by one block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame picture storing means, a current hierarchy picture of the highest resolution being the current original picture, a current hierarchy picture of a resolution lower than that of a specific current hierarchy picture being obtained each time every other pixel is removed in an x direction from pixels of the specific current original picture and every other pixel is removed in a y direction from pixels of the specific current original picture, a referential hierarchy picture of the highest resolution being the referential original picture, and a referential hierarchy picture of a resolution lower than that of a specific referential hierarchy picture being obtained each time every other pixel is removed in an x direction from pixels of the specific referential original picture and every other pixel is removed in a y direction from pixels of the specific referential original picture; motion vector producing means for repeatedly calculating an intermediate motion vector from one current hierarchy picture and one referential hierarchy picture produced by the hierarchy picture producing means and a rough motion vector calculated just before the calculation of the intermediate motion vector while changing the current and referential hierarchy pictures to other current and referential hierarchy pictures of higher resolution for each calculation of the intermediate motion vector and setting the intermediate motion vector as the rough motion vector for each calculation of the intermediate motion vector, and finally calculating the motion vector from the current and referential hierarchy pictures of the highest resolution, the motion vector being calculated for each block of the current frame, the motion vector for a block of the current frame indicating a block of the referential frame, and the rough motion vector indicating candidates for a particular block of the referential frame indicated by the intermediate motion vector; and inter-frame difference information producing means for producing inter-frame difference information indicating the inter-frame difference between a group of pixel values of one block of the current frame and a group of pixel values of a corresponding block of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector produced by the motion vector producing means for each block of the current frame.

20. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 16 in which the picture decoding means comprises variable-length decoding means for performing a variable-length decoding for the digital picture signals to produce a plurality of quantized values; inverted quantization means for performing an inverted quantization for the quantized values produced by the variable-length decoding means to produce a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, the DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals being classified into DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals and DCT coefficients of non-compressed color difference signals; and inverted DCT processing means for performing an inverted DCT processing for each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed color difference signals produced by the inverted quantization means to produce a plurality of blocks of non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, a plurality of blocks of non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type being produced from the blocks of non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:1:1 color component type by the component signal converting means, the picture coding means comprises an input buffer for storing the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type produced by the component signal converting means as picture signals of a current frame frame by frame, the non-compressed picture signals being classified into a plurality of blocks of non-compressed picture signals respectively corresponding to a block of the current frame; a DCT coefficient buffer for storing a block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals extracted from each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals produced by the inverted quantization means, each block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals corresponding to a block of the current frame, and the DCT coefficients of each block being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; hierarchical inverted DCT processing means for repeatedly extracting a group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals stored in the DCT coefficient buffer on condition that a frequency band of the group of DCT coefficients gradually extends to a higher frequency and performing an inverted DCT processing for each group of DCT coefficients to produce a plurality of hierarchy pictures respectively indicated by a plurality of non-compressed luminance signals, the hierarchy pictures of different resolutions being produced for each block of the current frame; DCT compressing means for performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer to obtain a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients and quantizing the DCT coefficients to obtain a plurality of blocks of quantized values; inverted DCT expanding means for performing an inverted DCT processing for the blocks of DCT coefficients obtained by the DCT compressing means to reproduce the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; frame picture storing means for storing each block of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type reproduced by the inverted DCT expanding means as picture signals of a block of a referential frame, other non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type corresponding to a frame succeeding to the referential frame being stored in the input buffer; motion predicting means for calculating a motion vector indicating the motion of a picture according to one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame stored in the input buffer and the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type of the referential frame stored in the frame picture storing means for each block of the current frame and calculating an inter-frame difference between one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame and a corresponding block of non-compressed picture signals of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector for each block of the current frame; and coding means for coding the quantized values obtained by the DCT compressing means by using the motion vectors and the inter-frame differences calculated by the motion predicting means to produce the digital picture signals compressed in the second format, the motion predicting means comprises motion vector producing means for repeatedly calculating an intermediate motion vector from one hierarchy picture produced by the hierarchical inverted DCT processing means and a referential original picture of the referential frame indicated by non-compressed luminance signals of the non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame picture storing means and a rough motion vector calculated just before the calculation of the intermediate motion vector while changing the hierarchy picture to another hierarchy picture of a higher resolution for each calculation of the intermediate motion vector and setting the intermediate motion vector as the rough motion vector for each calculation of the intermediate motion vector, and finally calculating the motion vector from the hierarchy picture of the highest resolution and the referential original picture for each block of the current frame, the motion vector for a block of the current frame indicating a block of the referential frame, and the rough motion vector indicating candidates for a particular block of the referential frame indicated by the intermediate motion vector; and inter-frame difference information producing means for producing inter-frame difference information indicating the inter-frame difference between a group of pixel values of one block of the current frame and a group of pixel values of a corresponding block of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector calculated by the motion vector producing means for each block of the current frame.

21. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 16 in which the picture decoding means comprises variable-length decoding means for performing a variable-length decoding for the digital picture signals to produce a plurality of quantized values; inverted quantization means for performing an inverted quantization for the quantized values produced by the variable-length decoding means to produce a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, the DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals being classified into DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals and DCT coefficients of non-compressed color difference signals; and inverted DCT processing means for performing an inverted DCT processing for each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed color difference signals produced by the inverted quantization means to produce a plurality of blocks of non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, a plurality of blocks of non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type being produced from the blocks of non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:1:1 color component type by the component signal converting means, the picture coding means comprises an input buffer for storing the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type produced by the component signal converting means as picture signals of a current frame frame by frame, the non-compressed picture signals being classified into a plurality of blocks of non-compressed picture signals respectively corresponding to a block of the current frame; a DCT coefficient buffer for storing a block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals extracted from each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals produced by the inverted quantization means, each block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals corresponding to a block of the current frame, and the DCT coefficients of each block being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; a one-dimensional inverted DCT processing means for extracting a block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals arranged in a row as an x-directional group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients stored in the DCT coefficient buffer, extracting a block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals arranged in a column as a y-directional group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients stored in the DCT coefficient buffer, performing an inverted DCT processing for the x-directional group of DCT coefficients to obtain x-directional information composed of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in the x direction for each block of a current frame and performing an inverted DCT processing for the y-directional group of DCT coefficients to obtain y-directional information composed of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in the y direction for each block of the current frame; DCT compressing means for performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer to obtain a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients and quantizing the DCT coefficients to obtain a plurality of blocks of quantized values; inverted DCT expanding means for performing an inverted DCT processing for the blocks of DCT coefficients obtained by the DCT compressing means to reproduce the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; frame picture storing means for storing each block of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type reproduced by the inverted DCT expanding means as picture signals of a block of a referential frame, other non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type corresponding to a frame succeeding to the referential frame being stored in the input buffer; motion predicting means for calculating a motion vector indicating the motion of a picture according to one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame stored in the input buffer and the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type of the referential frame stored in the frame picture storing means for each block of the current frame and calculating an inter-frame difference between one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame and a corresponding block of non-compressed picture signals of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector for each block of the current frame; and coding means for coding the quantized values obtained by the DCT compressing means by using the motion vectors and the inter-frame differences calculated by the motion predicting means to produce the digital picture signals compressed in the second format, the motion predicting means comprises motion vector producing means for calculating an x-directional motion vector according to the x-directional information obtained by the one-dimensional inverted DCT processing means and non-compressed luminance signals of the non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame picture storing means for each block of the current frame, specifying a plurality of remarked blocks of the referential frame arranged in the neighborhood of a particular block indicated by the x-directional motion vector and calculating a motion vector according to the y-directional information obtained by the one-dimensional inverted DCT processing means and non-compressed luminance signals of the remarked blocks for each block of the current frame; and inter-frame difference information producing means for producing inter-frame difference information indicating the inter-frame difference between a group of pixel values of one block of the current frame and a group of pixel values of a corresponding block of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector calculated by the motion vector producing means for each block of the current frame.

22. A picture signal converting apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving a digital picture signal compressed in a first format for each of pixels of a frame; picture decoding means for decoding the digital picture signals received by the receiving means to produce a plurality of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:1:1 color component type, converting the DCT coefficients into a plurality of DCT coefficients of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:2:0 color component type and producing a plurality of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type from the DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; picture coding means for coding the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type obtained by the picture decoding means to produce a plurality of digital picture signals compressed in a second format different from the first format; and output means for outputting the digital picture signals compressed in the second format obtained by the picture coding means.

23. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 22 in which the first format of the digital picture signals received by the receiving means is a DVC format, the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format being obtained by performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:1:1 color component type to obtain a block of DCT coefficients from each block of non-compressed picture signals, quantizing each block of DCT coefficients to obtain a block of quantized values from each block of DCT coefficients, coding each block of quantized values to obtain a block of variable-length codes from each block of quantized values and recording each block of variable-length codes as the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format, and the second format of the digital picture signals obtained by the picture coding means is a moving picture experts group (MPEG) format in which a time-redundancy between frames is reduced by performing a motion compensation, a space-redundancy in each frame is reduced by performing a discrete cosine transform and a code volume is reduced by performing a variable length coding.

24. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 22 in which the picture decoding means comprises preparing means for deshuffling the digital picture signals to rearrange the digital picture signals; variable-length decoding means for performing a variable-length decoding for the digital picture signals deshuffled by the preparing means to produce a plurality of quantized values; inverted quantization means for performing an inverted quantization for the quantized values produced by the variable-length decoding means to produce a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, the DCT coefficients of each block being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; DCT coefficient converting means for extracting a block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:1:1 color component type from each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals obtained by the inverted quantization means and converting each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:1:1 color component type to a block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type by removing a lower half portion of DCT coefficients corresponding to higher frequency from each block of DCT coefficients to halve a resolution of the DCT coefficients in a y direction for each block and adding DCT coefficients on the right side of the remaining DCT coefficients for each block to double a resolution of the DCT coefficients in an x direction for each block; inverted DCT processing means for performing an inverted DCT processing for each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals extracted from the DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals obtained by the inverted quantization means and a corresponding block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type obtained by the DCT coefficient converting means to produce a plurality of blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type, and the picture coding means comprises an input buffer for storing the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type produced by the inverted DCT processing means as picture signals of a current frame frame by frame, each block of non-compressed picture signals corresponding to a block of the current frame; DCT compressing means for performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer to obtain a plurality of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients for each block and quantizing the DCT coefficients to obtain a plurality of quantized values for each block; inverted DCT expanding means for performing an inverted DCT processing for the DCT coefficients obtained by the DCT compressing means to reproduce the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; frame picture storing means for storing the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type reproduced by the inverted DCT expanding means as blocks of picture signals of a referential frame, other non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type corresponding to a frame succeeding to the referential frame being stored in the input buffer; motion predicting means for calculating a motion vector indicating the motion of a picture according to one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame stored in the input buffer and the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type of the referential frame stored in the frame picture storing means for each block of the current frame and calculating an inter-frame difference according to the difference between one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame and a corresponding block of non-compressed picture signals of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector; coding selecting means for selecting a type of coding performed for the quantized values of the cur rent frame obtained by the DCT compressing means; variable length coding means for performing a variable length coding for the quantized values obtained by the DCT compressing means according to the coding type selected by the coding selecting means, the motion vectors and the inter-frame differences calculated by the motion predicting means to produce pieces of variable length coded data; and structure coding means for producing the digital picture signals compressed in the second format from the variable length coded data obtained by the variable length coding means.

25. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 24 in which the motion predicting means comprises hierarchy picture producing means for producing a plurality of current hierarchy pictures of different resolutions from a current original picture of each block of the current frame indicated by one block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer and producing a plurality of referential hierarchy pictures from a referential original picture of each block of the referential frame indicated by one block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame picture storing means, a current hierarchy picture of the highest resolution being the current original picture, a current hierarchy picture of a resolution lower than that of a specific current hierarchy picture being obtained each time every other pixel is removed in an x direction from pixels of the specific current original picture and every other pixel is removed in a y direction from pixels of the specific current original picture, a referential hierarchy picture of the highest resolution being the referential original picture, and a referential hierarchy picture of a resolution lower than that of a specific referential hierarchy picture being obtained each time every other pixel is removed in an x direction from pixels of the specific referential original picture and every other pixel is removed in a y direction from pixels of the specific referential original picture; motion vector producing means for repeatedly calculating an intermediate motion vector from one current hierarchy picture and one referential hierarchy picture produced by the hierarchy picture producing means and a rough motion vector calculated just before the calculation of the intermediate motion vector while changing the current and referential hierarchy pictures to other current and referential hierarchy pictures of higher resolution for each calculation of the intermediate motion vector and setting the intermediate motion vector as the rough motion vector for each calculation of the intermediate motion vector, and finally calculating the motion vector from the current and referential hierarchy pictures of the highest resolution, the motion vector being calculated for each block of the current frame, the motion vector for a block of the current frame indicating a block of the referential frame, and the rough motion vector indicating candidates for a particular block of the referential frame indicated by the intermediate motion vector; and inter-frame difference information producing means for producing inter-frame difference information indicating the inter-frame difference between a group of pixel values of one block of the current frame and a group of pixel values of a corresponding block of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector produced by the motion vector producing means for each block of the current frame.

26. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 24 in which the picture coding means further comprises: a DCT coefficient buffer for storing a block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals extracted from each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals produced by the inverted quantization means, each block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals corresponding to a block of the current frame, and the DCT coefficients of each block being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; and hierarchical inverted DCT processing means for repeatedly extracting a group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals stored in the DCT coefficient buffer on condition that a frequency band of the group of DCT coefficients gradually extends to a higher frequency and performing an inverted DCT processing for each group of DCT coefficients to produce a plurality of hierarchy pictures respectively indicated by a plurality of non-compressed luminance signals, the hierarchy pictures of different resolutions being produced for each block of the current frame, and the motion predicting means comprises motion vector producing means for repeatedly calculating an intermediate motion vector from one hierarchy picture produced by the hierarchical inverted DCT processing means and a referential original picture of the referential frame indicated by non-compressed luminance signals of the non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame picture storing means and a rough motion vector calculated just before the calculation of the intermediate motion vector while changing the hierarchy picture to another hierarchy picture of a higher resolution for each calculation of the intermediate motion vector and setting the intermediate motion vector as the rough motion vector for each calculation of the intermediate motion vector, and finally calculating the motion vector from the hierarchy picture of the highest resolution and the referential original picture for each block of the current frame, the motion vector for a block of the current frame indicating a block of the referential frame, and the rough motion vector indicating candidates for a particular block of the referential frame indicated by the intermediate motion vector; and inter-frame difference information producing means for producing inter-frame difference information indicating the inter-frame difference between a group of pixel values of one block of the current frame and a group of pixel values of a corresponding block of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector calculated by the motion vector producing means for each block of the current frame.

27. A picture signal converting apparatus according to claim 24 in which the picture coding means further comprises: a DCT coefficient buffer for storing a block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals extracted from each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals produced by the inverted quantization means, each block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals corresponding to a block of the current frame, and the DCT coefficients of each block being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; and a one-dimensional inverted DCT processing means for extracting a block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals arranged in a row as an x-directional group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients stored in the DCT coefficient buffer, extracting a block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals arranged in a column as a y-directional group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients stored in the DCT coefficient buffer, performing an inverted DCT processing for the x-directional group of DCT coefficients to obtain x-directional information composed of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in the x direction for each block of a current frame and performing an inverted DCT processing for the y-directional group of DCT coefficients to obtain y-directional information composed of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in the y direction for each block of the current frame, and the motion predicting means comprises motion vector producing means for calculating an x-directional motion vector according to the x-directional information obtained by the one-dimensional inverted DCT processing means and non-compressed luminance signals of the non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame picture storing means for each block of the current frame, specifying a plurality of remarked blocks of the referential frame arranged in the neighborhood of a particular block indicated by the x-directional motion vector and calculating a motion vector according to the y-directional information obtained by the one-dimensional inverted DCT processing means and non-compressed luminance signals of the remarked blocks for each block of the current frame; and inter-frame difference information producing means for producing inter-frame difference information indicating the inter-frame difference between a group of pixel values of one block of the current frame and a group of pixel values of a corresponding block of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector calculated by the motion vector producing means for each block of the current frame.

28. A picture signal converting method, comprising the steps of: receiving a digital picture signal compressed in a DVC format for each of pixels of a frame, the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format being obtained by performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:1:1 color component type to obtain a block of DCT coefficients from each block of non-compressed picture signals, quantizing each block of DCT coefficients to obtain a block of quantized values from each block of DCT coefficients, coding each block of quantized values to obtain a block of variable-length codes from each block of quantized values and recording each block of variable-length codes as the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format; decoding the digital picture signals to produce a plurality of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:1:1 color component type, the non-compressed picture signals being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; removing color difference signals on every other row from the color difference signals of the non-compressed picture signals to halve the number of color difference signals in a y direction; adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in an x direction to double the number of color difference signals in the x direction; setting values of the color difference signals according to values of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type to directly convert the color difference signals of the 4:1:1 color component type into converted color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type; combining luminance signals of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type and the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type for each pixel of the frame to produce non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; coding the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type to produce a plurality of digital picture signals compressed in a moving picture experts group (MPEG) format in which a time-redundancy between frames is reduced by performing a motion compensation, a space-redundancy in each frame is reduced by performing a discrete cosine transform and a code volume is reduced by performing a variable length coding; and outputting the digital picture signals compressed in the MPEG format.

29. A picture signal converting method according to claim 28 in which the step of coding the non-compressed picture signals comprises the steps of: storing the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in an input buffer as picture signals of a current frame frame by frame, the non-compressed picture signals being classified into a plurality of blocks of non-compressed picture signals respectively corresponding to a block of the current frame; performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for the blocks of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer to obtain a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients; quantizing the blocks of DCT coefficients to produce a plurality of quantized values of the current frame; performing an inverted DCT processing for each block of DCT coefficients to reproduce the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; storing the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in a frame memory as picture signals of a referential frame, other non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type corresponding to a frame succeeding to the referential frame being stored in the input buffer; calculating a motion vector indicating the motion of a picture according to one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame stored in the input buffer and the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type of the referential frame stored in the frame memory for each block of the current frame; calculating an inter-frame difference between one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame and a corresponding block of non-compressed picture signals of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector; selecting a type of coding performed for the quantized values of the current frame; performing a variable length coding for the quantized values according to the coding type, the motion vectors and the inter-frame differences to produce pieces of variable length coded data; and producing the digital picture signals compressed in the MPEG format from the variable length coded data, and the step of calculating a motion vector comprises the steps of producing a plurality of current hierarchy pictures of different resolutions from a current original picture of one block of the current frame indicated by one block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer for each block of the current frame by setting the current original picture as a current hierarchy picture of the highest resolution and obtaining a current hierarchy picture of a resolution lower than that of a specific current hierarchy picture each time every other pixel is removed in an x direction from pixels of the specific current original picture and every other pixel is removed in a y direction from pixels of the specific current original picture; producing a plurality of referential hierarchy pictures of different resolutions from a referential original picture of one block of the referential frame indicated by one block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame memory for each block of the referential frame by setting a referential hierarchy picture of the highest resolution as the referential original picture and obtaining a referential hierarchy picture of a resolution lower than that of a specific referential hierarchy picture each time every other pixel is removed in an x direction from pixels of the specific referential original picture and every other pixel is removed in a y direction from pixels of the specific referential original picture; repeatedly calculating an intermediate motion vector from one current hierarchy picture and one referential hierarchy picture and a rough motion vector calculated just before the calculation of the intermediate motion vector while changing the current and referential hierarchy pictures to other current and referential hierarchy pictures of higher resolution; and finally calculating the motion vector from the current and referential hierarchy pictures of the highest resolution, the motion vector for a block of the current frame indicating a block of the referential frame, and the rough motion vector indicating candidates for a particular block of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector.

30. A picture signal converting method according to claim 28 in which the step of decoding the digital picture signals comprises the steps of: performing a variable-length decoding for the digital picture signals to produce a plurality of quantized values; performing an inverted quantization for the quantized values to produce a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, the DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals being classified into DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals and DCT coefficients of the non-compressed color difference signals; and performing an inverted DCT processing for each block of DCT coefficients to produce the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, the step of coding the non-compressed picture signals comprises the steps of: storing each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals in a DCT coefficient buffer; storing the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in an input buffer as picture signals of a current frame frame by frame, the non-compressed picture signals being classified into a plurality of blocks of non-compressed picture signals respectively corresponding to a block of the current frame; performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer to obtain a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients; quantizing each block of DCT coefficients to produce a plurality of quantized values of the current frame; performing an inverted DCT processing for each block of DCT coefficients to reproduce the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; storing the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in a frame memory as picture signals of a referential frame, other non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type corresponding to a frame succeeding to the referential frame being stored in the input buffer; calculating a motion vector indicating the motion of a picture according to one block of non-compressed picture signals of one block of the current frame stored in the input buffer and the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type of the referential frame stored in the frame memory for each block of the current frame; calculating an inter-frame difference between one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame and a corresponding block of non-compressed picture signals of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector; selecting a type of coding performed for the quantized values of the current frame; performing a variable length coding for the quantized values according to the coding type, the motion vectors and the inter-frame differences to produce pieces of variable length coded data; and producing the digital picture signals compressed in the MPEG format from the variable length coded data, and the step of calculating a motion vector comprises the steps of: repeatedly extracting a group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals stored in the DCT coefficient buffer on condition that a frequency band of the group of DCT coefficients gradually extends to a higher frequency; performing an inverted DCT processing for each group of DCT coefficients to produce a plurality of hierarchy pictures respectively indicated by a plurality of non-compressed luminance signals, the hierarchy pictures of different resolutions being produced for each block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals; repeatedly calculating an intermediate motion vector from one hierarchy picture and a referential original picture of the referential frame indicated by non-compressed luminance signals of the non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame memory and a rough motion vector calculated just before the calculation of the intermediate motion vector while changing the hierarchy picture to another hierarchy picture of a higher resolution, the rough motion vector indicating candidates for a particular block of the referential frame indicated by the intermediate motion vector; and finally calculating the motion vector from the hierarchy picture of the highest resolution and the referential original picture, the motion vector for a block of the current frame indicating a block of the referential frame.

31. A picture signal converting method according to claim 28 in which the step of decoding the digital picture signals comprises the steps of: performing a variable-length decoding for the digital picture signals to produce a plurality of quantized values; performing an inverted quantization for the quantized values to produce a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals being classified into a block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals and a block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed color difference signals; and performing an inverted DCT processing for each block of DCT coefficients to produce the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, the step of coding the non-compressed picture signals comprises the steps of: storing each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals in a DCT coefficient buffer; storing the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in an input buffer as picture signals of a current frame frame by frame, the non-compressed picture signals being classified into a plurality of blocks of non-compressed picture signals respectively corresponding to a block of the current frame; performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer to obtain a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients; quantizing the blocks of DCT coefficients to produce a plurality of quantized values of the current frame; performing an inverted DCT processing for the blocks of DCT coefficients to reproduce the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; storing the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in a frame memory as picture signals of a referential frame, other non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type corresponding to a frame succeeding to the referential frame being stored in the input buffer; calculating a motion vector indicating the motion of a picture according to one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame stored in the input buffer and the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type of the referential frame stored in the frame memory for each block of the current frame; calculating an inter-frame difference between one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame and a corresponding block of non-compressed picture signals of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector; selecting a type of coding performed for the quantized values of the current frame; performing a variable length coding for the quantized values according to the coding type, the motion vectors and the inter-frame differences to produce pieces of variable length coded data; and producing the digital picture signals compressed in the MPEG format from the variable length coded data, and the step of calculating a motion vector comprises the steps of: extracting a plurality of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in a row as an x-directional group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals stored in the DCT coefficient buffer; extracting a plurality of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in a column as a y-directional group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals stored in the DCT coefficient buffer; performing an inverted DCT processing for the x-directional group of DCT coefficients to obtain x-directional information composed of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in the x direction for each block of a current frame; performing an inverted DCT processing for the y-directional group of DCT coefficients to obtain y-directional information composed of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in the y direction for each block of the current frame; calculating an x-directional motion vector according to the x-directional information and non-compressed luminance signals of the non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame memory for each block of the current frame; specifying a plurality of remarked blocks of the referential frame arranged in the neighborhood of a particular block of the referential frame indicated by the x-directional motion vector; and calculating the motion vector according to the y-directional information and non-compressed luminance signals of the remarked blocks for each block of the current frame.

32. A picture signal converting method, comprising the steps of: receiving a digital picture signal compressed in a DVC format for each of pixels of a frame, the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format being obtained by performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:1:1 color component type to obtain a block of DCT coefficients from each block of non-compressed picture signals, quantizing each block of DCT coefficients to obtain a block of quantized values from each block of DCT coefficients, coding each block of quantized values to obtain a block of variable-length codes from each block of quantized values and recording each block of variable-length codes as the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format; performing a variable-length decoding for the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format to produce a plurality of quantized values; performing an inverted quantization for the quantized values to produce a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals being classified into a block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals and a block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:1:1 color component type; converting each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:1:1 color component type into a block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type, the DCT coefficients of each block being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; combining each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type and a corresponding block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals to produce a plurality of blocks of DCT coefficients of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; performing an inverted DCT processing for each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type to produce a block of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type for each block of DCT coefficients; coding each block of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type to produce a plurality of digital picture signals compressed in a moving picture experts group (MPEG) format in which a time-redundancy between frames is reduced by performing a motion compensation, a space-redundancy in each frame is reduced by performing a discrete cosine transform and a code volume is reduced by performing a variable length coding; and outputting the digital picture signals compressed in the MPEG format, and the step of converting each block of DCT coefficients comprises the steps of: removing a lower half portion of DCT coefficients corresponding to higher frequency from each block of DCT coefficients to halve a resolution of the DCT coefficients in a y direction for each block; and adding DCT coefficients on the right side of the remaining DCT coefficients for each block to double a resolution of the DCT coefficients in an x direction for each block and to produce the blocks of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

33. A picture signal converting method according to claim 32 in which the step of coding each block of non-compressed picture signals comprises the steps of: storing the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in an input buffer as picture signals of a current frame frame by frame, each block of non-compressed picture signals corresponding to a block of the current frame; performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer to obtain a plurality of blocks of DCT coefficients; quantizing each block of DCT coefficients to produce a plurality of quantized values of the current frame; performing an inverted DCT processing for the DCT coefficients to reproduce the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; storing the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in a frame memory as picture signals of a referential frame, other non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type corresponding to a frame succeeding to the referential frame being stored in the input buffer; calculating a motion vector indicating the motion of a picture according to one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame stored in the input buffer and the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type of the referential frame stored in the frame memory for each block of the current frame; calculating an inter-frame difference according to the difference between one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame and a corresponding block of non-compressed picture signals of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector; selecting a type of coding performed for the quantized values of the current frame; performing a variable length coding for the quantized values according to the coding type, the motion vectors and the inter-frame differences to produce pieces of variable length coded data; and producing the digital picture signals compressed in the MPEG format from the variable length coded data, and the step of calculating a motion vector comprises the steps of producing a plurality of current hierarchy pictures of different resolutions from a current original picture of one block of the current frame indicated by one block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer for each block of the current frame by setting the current original picture as a current hierarchy picture of the highest resolution and obtaining a current hierarchy picture of a resolution lower than that of a specific current hierarchy picture each time every other pixel is removed in an x direction from pixels of the specific current original picture and every other pixel is removed in a y direction from pixels of the specific current original picture; producing a plurality of referential hierarchy pictures of different resolutions from a referential original picture of one block of the referential frame indicated by one block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame memory for each block of the referential frame by setting a referential hierarchy picture of the highest resolution as the referential original picture and obtaining a referential hierarchy picture of a resolution lower than that of a specific referential hierarchy picture each time every other pixel is removed in an x direction from pixels of the specific referential original picture and every other pixel is removed in a y direction from pixels of the specific referential original picture; repeatedly calculating an intermediate motion vector from one current hierarchy picture and one referential hierarchy picture and a rough motion vector calculated just before the calculation of the intermediate motion vector while changing the current and referential hierarchy pictures to other current and referential hierarchy pictures of higher resolution; and finally calculating the motion vector from the current and referential hierarchy pictures of the highest resolution for each block of the current frame, the motion vector for a block of the current frame indicating a block of the referential frame, and the rough motion vector indicating candidates for a particular block of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector.

34. A picture signal converting method according to claim 32 in which the step of coding each block of non-compressed picture signals comprises the steps of: storing the blocks of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals in a DCT coefficient buffer, each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals corresponding to a block of the current frame; storing the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in an input buffer as picture signals of a current frame frame by frame; performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer to obtain a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients; quantizing the blocks of DCT coefficients to produce a plurality of quantized values of the current frame; performing an inverted DCT processing for the blocks of DCT coefficients to reproduce the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; storing the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in a frame memory as picture signals of a referential frame, other non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type corresponding to a frame succeeding to the referential frame being stored in the input buffer; calculating a motion vector indicating the motion of a picture according to one block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals in a DCT coefficient buffer and the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type of the referential frame stored in the frame memory for each block of the current frame; calculating an inter-frame difference between one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame and a corresponding block of non-compressed picture signals of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector; selecting a type of coding performed for the quantized values of the current frame; performing a variable length coding for the quantized values according to the coding type, the motion vectors and the inter-frame differences to produce pieces of variable length coded data; and producing the digital picture signals compressed in the MPEG format from the variable length coded data, and the step of calculating a motion vector comprises the steps of: repeatedly extracting a group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients of luminance signals stored in the DCT coefficient buffer on condition that a frequency band of the group of DCT coefficients gradually extends to a higher frequency; performing an inverted DCT processing for each group of DCT coefficients to produce a plurality of hierarchy pictures respectively indicated by a plurality of non-compressed luminance signals, the hierarchy pictures of different resolutions being produced for each block; repeatedly calculating an intermediate motion vector from one hierarchy picture and a referential original picture of the referential frame indicated by non-compressed luminance signals of the non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame memory and a rough motion vector calculated just before the calculation of the intermediate motion vector while changing the hierarchy picture to another hierarchy picture of a higher resolution, the rough motion vector indicating candidates for a particular block of the referential frame indicated by the intermediate motion vector; and finally calculating the motion vector from the hierarchy picture of the highest resolution and the referential original picture, the motion vector for a block of the current frame indicating a block of the referential frame.

35. A picture signal converting method according to claim 32 in which the step of coding each block of non-compressed picture signals comprises the steps of: storing the blocks of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals in a DCT coefficient buffer, each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals corresponding to a block of the current frame; storing the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in an input buffer as picture signals of a current frame frame by frame; performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals stored in the input buffer to obtain a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients; quantizing the blocks of DCT coefficients to produce a plurality of quantized values of the current frame; performing an inverted DCT processing for the blocks of DCT coefficients to reproduce the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; storing the blocks of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type in a frame memory as picture signals of a referential frame, other non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type corresponding to a frame succeeding to the referential frame being stored in the input buffer; calculating a motion vector indicating the motion of a picture according to one block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals in the DCT coefficient buffer and the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type of the referential frame stored in the frame memory for each block of the current frame; calculating an inter-frame difference between one block of non-compressed picture signals of the current frame and a corresponding block of non-compressed picture signals of the referential frame indicated by the motion vector; selecting a type of coding performed for the quantized values of the current frame; performing a variable length coding for the quantized values according to the coding type, the motion vectors and the inter-frame differences to produce pieces of variable length coded data; and producing the digital picture signals compressed in the MPEG format from the variable length coded data, and the step of calculating a motion vector comprises the steps of: extracting a plurality of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in a row as an x-directional group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals stored in the DCT coefficient buffer; extracting a plurality of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in a column as a y-directional group of DCT coefficients from each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals stored in the DCT coefficient buffer; performing a one-dimensional inverted DCT processing for the x-directional group of DCT coefficients to obtain x-directional information composed of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in the x direction for each block of the current frame; performing a one-dimensional inverted DCT processing for the y-directional group of DCT coefficients to obtain y-directional information composed of non-compressed luminance signals arranged in the y direction for each block of the current frame; calculating an x-directional motion vector according to the x-directional information and non-compressed luminance signals of the non-compressed picture signals stored in the frame memory for each block of the current frame; specifying a plurality of remarked blocks of referential frame arranged in the neighborhood of a particular block of the referential frame indicated by the x-directional motion vector; and calculating the motion vector according to the y-directional information and non-compressed luminance signals of the remarked blocks for each block of the current frame.

36. A picture providing system, comprising: picture input means for receiving a plurality of digital picture signals compressed in a first format; picture reproducing means for reproducing a digital picture according to a plurality of digital picture signals compressed in a second format different from the first format; picture providing means for receiving the digital picture signals compressed in the first format from the picture input means, converting the digital picture signals compressed in the first format into the digital picture signals compressed in the second format and transmitting the digital picture signals compressed in the second format to the picture reproducing means; and a network through which the digital picture signals compressed in the first format is transmitted from the picture input means to the picture providing means and the digital picture signals compressed in the second format is transmitted from the picture providing means to the picture reproducing means, the picture providing means comprising: communicating means for receiving the digital picture signals compressed in the first format from the picture input means through the network and outputting the digital picture signals compressed in the second format to the picture reproducing means through the network; and picture signal converting means for converting the digital picture signals of the first format received by the communicating means into the digital picture signals compressed in the second format and outputting the digital picture signals compressed in the second format to the communicating means, and the picture signal converting means comprising picture decoding means for decoding the digital picture signals compressed in the first format to produce a plurality of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:1:1 color component type, the non-compressed picture signals being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; component signal converting means for directly converting color difference signals of the non-compressed picture signals obtained by the picture decoding means into converted color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type by removing color difference signals on every other row from the color difference signals of the non-compressed picture signals to halve the number of color difference signals in a y direction and adding a color difference signal to a position between each pair of color difference signals adjacent to each other in an x direction to double the number of color difference signals in the x direction, setting values of the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type according to values of the color difference signals of the non-compressed picture signals obtained by the picture decoding means and combining luminance signals of the non-compressed picture signals obtained by the picture decoding means and the converted color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type obtained by the color difference signal converting means for each pixel of the frame to produce non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; and picture coding means for coding the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type obtained by the component signal converting means to produce the digital picture signals compressed in the second format.

37. A picture providing system according to claim 36 in which the first format of the digital picture signals received by the picture input means is a DVC format, the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format being obtained by performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:1:1 color component type to obtain a block of DCT coefficients from each block of non-compressed picture signals, quantizing each block of DCT coefficients to obtain a block of quantized values from each block of DCT coefficients, coding each block of quantized values to obtain a block of variable-length codes from each block of quantized values and recording each block of variable-length codes as the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format, and the second format of the digital picture signals obtained by the picture signal converting means is a moving picture experts group (MPEG) format in which a time-redundancy between frames is reduced by performing a motion compensation, a space-redundancy in each frame is reduced by performing a discrete cosine transform and a code volume is reduced by performing a variable length coding.

38. A picture providing system according to claim 36 in which the picture reproducing means further comprises picture signal storing means for storing the digital picture signals of the first format received by the communicating means and the digital picture signals of the second format obtained by the picture signal converting means; control means for receiving a picture output request indicating a request of the output of digital picture signals of the second format from the picture reproducing means through the network and the communicating means, controlling the picture signal storing means and the communicating means to output the digital picture signals of the second format stored in the picture signal storing means to the picture reproducing means through the communicating means and the network.

39. A picture providing system according to claim 36 in which the picture reproducing means further comprises control means for receiving a picture output request indicating a request of the output of digital picture signals of the second format from the picture reproducing means through the network and the communicating means, controlling the picture signal converting means to convert the digital picture signals compressed in the first format into the digital picture signals compressed in the second format according to the picture output request and controlling the communicating means to output the digital picture signals compressed in the second format to the picture reproducing means through the network.

40. A picture providing system, comprising: picture input means for receiving a plurality of digital picture signals compressed in a first format; picture reproducing means for reproducing a digital picture according to a plurality of digital picture signals compressed in a second format different from the first format; picture providing means for receiving the digital picture signals compressed in the first format from the picture input means, converting the digital picture signals compressed in the first format into the digital picture signals compressed in the second format and transmitting the digital picture signals compressed in the second format to the picture reproducing means; and a network through which the digital picture signals compressed in the first format is transmitted from the picture input means to the picture providing means and the digital picture signals compressed in the second format is transmitted from the picture providing means to the picture reproducing means, the picture providing means comprising: communicating means for receiving the digital picture signals compressed in the first format from the picture input means through the network and outputting the digital picture signals compressed in the second format to the picture reproducing means through the network; and picture signal converting means for converting the digital picture signals of the first format received by the communicating means into the digital picture signals compressed in the second format and outputting the digital picture signals compressed in the second format to the communicating means, and the picture signal converting means comprising picture decoding means for decoding the digital picture signals of the first format to produce a plurality of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:1:1 color component type, converting the DCT coefficients into a plurality of DCT coefficients of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:2:0 color component type and producing a plurality of non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type from the DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type; and picture coding means for coding the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type obtained by the picture decoding means to produce the digital picture signals compressed in the second format.

41. A picture providing system according to claim 40 in which the first format of the digital picture signals received by the picture input means is a DVC format, the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format being obtained by performing a discrete cosine transform (DCT) processing for each block of non-compressed picture signals of a 4:1:1 color component type to obtain a block of DCT coefficients from each block of non-compressed picture signals, quantizing each block of DCT coefficients to obtain a block of quantized values from each block of DCT coefficients, coding each block of quantized values to obtain a block of variable-length codes from each block of quantized values and recording each block of variable-length codes as the digital picture signals compressed in the DVC format, and the second format of the digital picture signals obtained by the picture signal converting means is a moving picture experts group (MPEG) format in which a time-redundancy between frames is reduced by performing a motion compensation, a space-redundancy in each frame is reduced by performing a discrete cosine transform and a code volume is reduced by performing a variable length coding.

42. A picture providing system according to claim 40 in which the picture decoding means of the picture signal converting means comprises preparing means for deshuffling the digital picture signals to rearrange the digital picture signals; variable-length decoding means for performing a variable-length decoding for the digital picture signals deshuffled by the preparing means to produce a plurality of quantized values; inverted quantization means for performing an inverted quantization for the quantized values produced by the variable-length decoding means to produce a plurality of blocks of discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:1:1 color component type, the DCT coefficients of each block being arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; DCT coefficient converting means for extracting a block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:1:1 color component type from each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals obtained by the inverted quantization means and converting each block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:1:1 color component type to a block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed color difference signals of a 4:2:0 color component type by removing a lower half portion of DCT coefficients corresponding to higher frequency from each block of DCT coefficients to halve a resolution of the DCT coefficients in a y direction for each block and adding DCT coefficients on the right side of the remaining DCT coefficients for each block to double a resolution of the DCT coefficients in an x direction for each block; and inverted DCT processing means for performing an inverted DCT processing for each block of DCT coefficients of non-compressed luminance signals extracted from the DCT coefficients of the non-compressed picture signals obtained by the inverted quantization means and a corresponding block of DCT coefficients of the non-compressed color difference signals of the 4:2:0 color component type obtained by the DCT coefficient converting means to produce the non-compressed picture signals of the 4:2:0 color component type.

43. A picture providing system according to claim 40 in which the picture reproducing means further comprises picture signal storing means for storing the digital picture signals of the first format received by the communicating means and the digital picture signals of the second format obtained by the picture signal converting means; control means for receiving a picture output request indicating a request of the output of digital picture signals of the second format from the picture reproducing means through the network and the communicating means, controlling the picture signal storing means and the communicating means to output the digital picture signals of the second format stored in the picture signal storing means to the picture reproducing means through the communicating means and the network.

44. A picture providing system according to claim 40 in which the picture reproducing means further comprises control means for receiving a picture output request indicating a request of the output of digital picture signals of the second format from the picture reproducing means through the network and the communicating means, controlling the picture signal converting means to convert the digital picture signals compressed in the first format into the digital picture signals compressed in the second format according to the picture output request and controlling the communicating means to output the digital picture signals compressed in the second format to the picture reproducing means through the network.