Selecting a method from a set of methods of transcoding digital video data, the data being transferable between at least two communication apparatuses via a communication network, including, for each transcoding method, obtaining a distortion value from a mathematical model for establishing the distortion taking into account the transcoding method, the distortion model being applied to information representing the content of the signal represented by the digital data to be transcoded, and selecting a transcoding method as a function of the different distortion values obtained for the set of transcoding methods, the set of transcoding methods including at least two different types of transcoding methods, each type of transcoding method being selected from at least one of a plurality of methods of reducing a spatial resolution, a plurality of a re-quantization methods, and a plurality of methods of reducing a frame rate.