Method and arrangement for jointly encoding a plurality of video streams

Method for decoding at least one encoded video stream (EV1, EV2) comprising at least one sequence of encoded residual pixel data (ERPD1, ERPD2) and reference data (IREF) comprising input encoding structure data (ESD), said method including a step of receiving a plurality of sequences of encoded residual pixel data (ERPD1, ERPD2, ERPD3) and of said reference data (IREF) comprising input encoding structure data (ESD), a step of selecting at least one sequence of encoded residual pixel data (ERPD1, ERPD2) pertaining to said at least one encoded video stream (EV1,EV2) and said reference data comprising said encoding structure data (ESD), to entropy decode and process said at least one sequence of encoded residual pixel data (ERPD1, ERPD2) pertaining to said at least one encoded video stream (EV1, EV2) with said encoding structure data (ESD) to provide at least one sequence of decoded pixel blocks (DPB1,DPB2) as at least one decoded video stream (DV1, DV2).

Encoder (JE, JE1,JE2, JE3, JE4) for encoding a plurality of video streams (IV1, IV2, IV3), said encoder being further adapted to receive said video streams (IV1, IV2, IV3), to generate a plurality of sequences of predicted pixel blocks (PPB1,PPB2, PPB3), to process and entropy encode said plurality of sequences of predicted pixel blocks and corresponding blocks of said video streams (IV1, IV2,1V3) for generating a plurality of sequences of encoded residual pixel data (ERPD1, ERPD2, ERPD3),

• wherein said encoder (JE, JE1,JE2, JE3, JE4) is further adapted generate encoding structure data (ESD, ESD1, JESD) from said plurality of video streams, to construct said plurality of sequences of predicted pixel blocks (PPB1, PPB2, PPB3) from said encoding structure data (ESD, ESD1, JESD) and to provide said plurality of sequences of encoded residual pixel data (ERPD1, ERPD2, ERPD3) and reference data (IREF) comprising said encoding structure data (EESD) on respective output terminals (OUT1,OUT2, OUT3, OUTREF) as encoded data of said plurality of video streams.

Decoder (JD, JD1, JD2) for decoding at least one encoded video stream comprising at least on sequence of encoded residual pixel data (ERPD1, ERPD2) and reference data comprising input encoding structure data (ESD), said decoder being adapted to receive a plurality of sequences of encoded residual pixel data (ERPD1, ERPD2, ERPD3) and reference input data (IREF) comprising input encoding structure data (ESD), said decoder further being adapted to select at least one sequence of encoded residual pixel data (ERPD1, ERPD2) pertaining to said at least one encoded video stream (EV1,EV2) and to derive said encoding structure data (ESD) from said reference input data (IREF), to entropy decode and to process said at least one sequence of encoded residual pixel data (ERPD1, ERPD2) together with said encoding structure data to provide at least one sequence of decoded pixel blocks (DPB1,DPB2) as said at least one decoded video stream (DV1, DV2).