1. In a video signal compression apparatus of the type which processes video data on a block basis and generates motion vectors for respective blocks via a block matching process, a motion vector processor for converting near zero-valued motion vectors to zero valued motion vectors comprising: means for identifying non-zero motion vectors which have values less than a predetermined value as candidates for conversion to zero valued motion vectors, hereafter designated candidate motion vectors; and means for determining if a candidate motion vector is correlated with motion vectors of blocks in the immediate neighborhood of the block having said candidate motion vector, and if correlation is not detected, converting said candidate motion vector to a zero valued motion vector and if correlation is detected, not converting said candidate motion vector to a zero valued motion vector.