1. An apparatus for classifying a temporal sampling pattern of a sequence of images that represents a moving image, wherein each image in the sequence is formed of a plurality of pixels, the apparatus comprising: an inter-field difference unit in which each pixel of a plurality of pixels in an image in the sequence of images is compared with a corresponding pixel in a preceding image to derive a preceding inter-image pixel-value difference between the image and the preceding image and each pixel of said plurality of pixels in the image in the sequence of images is compared with a corresponding pixel in a succeeding image in the sequence of images to derive a succeeding inter-image pixel-value difference between the image and the succeeding image in the sequence of images; and a classification unit in which each pixel of a plurality of pixels in each image in the sequence of images is initially classified according to a relationship between the preceding inter-image pixel-value difference and the succeeding inter-image pixel-value difference; and said initial classification refined for each of the plurality of pixels in accordance with a relative number of pixels of the image initially classified into each of a plurality of classes, wherein the plurality of classes of temporal sampling patterns include: a film 1 where the preceding image corresponds to a same temporal sample as the image and the succeeding image corresponds to a different temporal sample than the image; a film 2 where the succeeding image corresponds to the same temporal sample as the image and the preceding image corresponds to a different temporal sample than the image; a video where the preceding image corresponds to a different temporal sample than the image and the succeeding image corresponds to a different temporal sample than the image; and a still where the preceding image and the succeeding image corresponds to the same temporal sample as the image.