Image sequences are advantageously recoded based on an evaluation of complexities before and after trans-coding of the images. Initially, information is extracted representing at least the complexity of recoding each image. A complexity ratio is calculated in accordance with the complexities of images recoded previously using the aforementioned mode to the complexities of the initial coding of said images. After smoothing the complexity ratio undergoes updating. Each image is recoded according to the mode by estimating the complexity of each image to be recoded as the product of the complexity of the initial coding of the image by the smoothed complexity ratio for the mode.