A weighted prediction information calculation method of calculating a weighting factor (w, o) so as to make a predicted picture P pred generated by weighting pixel values of a reference picture P ref during a fade by the weighting factor, to approximate a picture P src to be predicted during the fade as P pred = wP ref + oE, or as P pred = wTP ref + oE, wherein E is a picture in which all pixel values are "1" at the same resolution as those of P src and P ref and T is a motion from the reference picture to the picture to be predicted, the weighted prediction information calculation method comprising: a first step of calculating DC component, M, and AC component, V, characteristics of sequential input pictures as M P = 1 pixnum P ∑ p ∈ P p, and V P = 1 pixnum P ∑ p ∈ P | p − M P | k 1 k, or V P = 1 pixnum P, δ ∑ p x, p x + δ ∈ P | p x − p x + δ | k 1 k; or M P = 1 pixnum trans P ∑ p ∈ trans P p, and V P = 1 pixnum trans P ∑ p ∈ trans P | p − M P | k 1 k, or V P = 1 pixnum trans P, δ ∑ p x, p x + δ ∈ trans P | p x − p x + δ | k 1 k; or M P = 1 ∑ i = 1 l α i ∑ i = 1 l α i pixnum trans sub i P ∑ p ∈ trans sub i P p, and V P = 1 ∑ i = 1 l α i ∑ i = 1 l α i pixnum trans sub i P ∑ p ∈ trans sub i P | p − M P | k 1 k, or V P = 1 ∑ i = 1 l α i ∑ i = 1 l α i pixnum trans sub i P, δ ∑ p x, p x + δ ∈ trans sub i P | p x − p x + δ | k 1 k wherein pixnum is a pixel count of pixels p in picture P, trans is a picture obtained by performing a transform, sub i is the ith partial picture of pixels extracted from the picture P, α i is an arbitrary positive constant, δ is an arbitrary coordinate difference, and k is an arbitrary positive constant; a second step of storing the characteristics calculated in the first step in association with the input pictures; and a third step of calculating the weighting factor (w,o) corresponding to the reference picture P ref using said stored characteristics respectively associated with a picture to be predicted P src and the reference picture P ref, wherein a third step includes the step of, letting M(P src) be a value representing a DC component in the picture to be predicted, M(P ref) be a value representing a DC component in the reference picture, V(P src) be a value representing an AC component in the picture to be predicted, and V(P ref) be a value representing an AC component in the reference picture P ref, calculating (w,o) using the following equation as the weighting factor: w = V P src V P ref o = M P src − V P src V P ref M P ref. a first step of calculating DC component, M, and AC component, V, characteristics of sequential input pictures as M P = 1 pixnum P ∑ p ∈ P p, and V P = 1 pixnum P ∑ p ∈ P | p − M P | k 1 k, or V P = 1 pixnum P, δ ∑ p x, p x + δ ∈ P | p x − p x + δ | k 1 k; or M P = 1 pixnum trans P ∑ p ∈ trans P p, and V P = 1 pixnum trans P ∑ p ∈ trans P | p − M P | k 1 k, or V P = 1 pixnum trans P, δ ∑ p x, p x + δ ∈ trans P | p x − p x + δ | k 1 k; or M P = 1 ∑ i = 1 l α i ∑ i = 1 l α i pixnum trans sub i P ∑ p ∈ trans sub i P p, and V P = 1 ∑ i = 1 l α i ∑ i = 1 l α i pixnum trans sub i P ∑ p ∈ trans sub i P | p − M P | k 1 k, or V P = 1 ∑ i = 1 l α i ∑ i = 1 l α i pixnum trans sub i P, δ ∑ p x, p x + δ ∈ trans sub i P | p x − p x + δ | k 1 k wherein pixnum is a pixel count of pixels p in picture P, trans is a picture obtained by performing a transform, sub i is the ith partial picture of pixels extracted from the picture P, α i is an arbitrary positive constant, δ is an arbitrary coordinate difference, and k is an arbitrary positive constant; a second step of storing the characteristics calculated in the first step in association with the input pictures; and a third step of calculating the weighting factor (w,o) corresponding to the reference picture P ref using said stored characteristics respectively associated with a picture to be predicted P src and the reference picture P ref, wherein a third step includes the step of, letting M(P src) be a value representing a DC component in the picture to be predicted, M(P ref) be a value representing a DC component in the reference picture, V(P src) be a value representing an AC component in the picture to be predicted, and V(P ref) be a value representing an AC component in the reference picture P ref, calculating (w,o) using the following equation as the weighting factor: w = V P src V P ref o = M P src − V P src V P ref M P ref.