A method of selecting a method from a set of methods of transcoding digital multimedia data, the data being transferrable between at least two communication apparatuses via a communication network. The method includes, for each transcoding method, obtaining a distortion value from a mathematical model for establishing the distortion taking into account the transcoding method, the distortion model being applied to information representing digital data. The method also includes selecting a transcoding method as a function of the different distortion values obtained for the set of transcoding methods.