A signal decoding apparatus which performs arithmetic decoding and other decoding operations, wherein the arithmetic decoding is performed using probability information table which comprises transition states each assigned a table address, the apparatus comprising:
- an input control configured to have as inputs a coded signal, a reference value and at least one parameter, the at least one parameter relating to at least one of the other decoding operations;
- an initial value generator configured to derive a table address of an initial state in the table, the table number being a function of the reference value and the at least one parameter;
- and
- an arithmetic decoding engine configured to perform the arithmetic decoding on the coded signal, using the initial state addressed by the table address.