Sub-pictures for pixel rate balancing on multi-core platforms

A video decoder comprising:

• a first decoder processing core and a second decoder processing core;
• a decoder controller coupled to the first decoder processing core and the second decoder processing core, wherein the decoder controller is operable to:
• determine that a picture is encoded in a compressed bit stream in a predetermined number of encoded sub-pictures, each of the sub-pictures comprise at least one complete slice and at least one complete tile, wherein a number of tile rows per picture is equal to a number of sub-picture rows per picture, and wherein each sub-picture comprises an integer number of coding units;
• and
• dispatch a first encoded sub-picture of the predetermined number of encoded sub-pictures to the first decoder processing core and a second encoded sub-picture of the predetermined number of encoded sub-pictures to the second decoder processing core
• the first decoder processing core operable to decode the first encoded sub-picture;
• and
• the second decoder processing core operable to decode the second encoded sub-picture, wherein the second decoder processing core decodes the second encoded sub-picture in parallel with the first decoder processing core decoding the first encoded sub-picture.