SCENE-CHANGE DETECTING METHOD THAT DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN GRADUAL AND SUDDEN SCENE CHANGES

A video for one frame is captured and two adjacent frames are compared, the result of which is detected as a change degree of the video. Then, based on the magnitude of the change degree, it is determined whether a scene change (SC) exists. If an SC exists, it is examined whether its change degree alters rapidly or gradually, to determine the SC as a momentum or gradual SC. For the momentum SC, its determination point is detected as the momentum SC. For the gradual SC, its determination points is detected as the start of the gradual SC, thereafter, its end is detected. According, for one gradual SC, plural SC's are not detected and a midway illegible video is not indicated as an index picture.