A bandwidth compression system for picture signals called the time-axis transform (TAT) system is introduced. It can be applied to various systems for transmission and recording of picture signals, such as the satellite broadcast system of high-definition television. The TAT compresses the bandwidth by reducing the number of transmitted pixels. The transmitted pixels consist of two kinds: basic pixels and additional pixels. The location of the former is fixed and that of the latter varies from picture to picture to minimize the interpolation error in the reconstructed picture. Thus, the TAT is a hybrid of fixed sampling and variable sampling systems. It compresses the bandwidth of the picture signal to one half or less, keeping high picture quality for both still and moving pictures. The feasibility of the TAT is demonstrated by an experimental system.>