A picture signal recording device for recording color video signals having a color signal detection circuit detects the quantity of motion of chroma signals from an inter-frame difference between a color difference signal from a chroma recording processing circuit and a signal delayed by one frame from the color difference signal. A dynamic change smoothing filter circuit smoothes sudden changes in the quantity of motion of the chroma signal. A luminance signal motion detection circuit detects the quantity of motion of chroma signals from an inter-field difference between a luminance signal from a luminance recording processing circuit and a signal delayed by one field from the luminance signal. A maximum value detection circuit detects the maximum value of the quantity of motion of the chroma signal and the quantity of motion of the luminance signal. An adaptive processing circuit controls the quantity of transmission of the sub-Nyquist sampled color signal depending on the maximum value. Thus the sub-sampled color signal sub-sampled responsive to the motion of the picture is transmitted, while motion detection may be made without necessitating a memory exclusively used for motion detection.