An apparatus and method for the detection of errors in compressed digital image is disclosed. In one embodiment, a signature is generated using a multiple input shift register and added to the compressed information. The signature is verified at the decoder to detect an error in the compressed information. Other information such as the frame number and/or color component type of the compressed image can also be verified to detect errors in the compressed information. In other embodiments, the decoder detects errors if there are bits remaining after decompression and/or if there are invalid codes at decompression. Once an error is detected, the compressed information can be discarded or re-sent and processed. Therefore, the detection of errors can significantly enhance at least the reliance of systems such as digital cinema that require compression of large amounts of data.