A frame format and method and apparatus for processing a frame

A frame format used for a codec is characterised in that, in the case in which the number of total bits used for an overhead, a data and an error correction code is B bits, and the bit number of dummy bits is D bits, the number A of total bits of one frame is A = B + D, and in the case in which the number of parallel processing inside the codec is P. the above-described bit number D of the dummy bits satisfies D P x n - B (n is a natural number).