Apparatus and method for coding an information signal into a data stream, converting the data stream and decoding the data stream

An apparatus for decoding a data stream representing a coded version of an information signal, the apparatus comprising:

• a receiver for receiving a data stream comprising consecutive access units of consecutive data packets, each data packet being of a data packet type of a predetermined set of data packet types, at least one of the data packet types being a removable data packet type, and the data packet within each access unit being arranged in accordance with a predetermined order among the data packet types, in accordance with which a second data packet type precedes a first data packet type, such that, even when a data packet of the removable data packet type is removed from the data stream, borders between successive access units are still detectable from the data stream by use of the predetermined order and all data packets remain associated with the respective access unit they originally belonged to before removal of any data packet of the removable data packet type, with the detection by use of the predetermined order involving detecting an existence of a border between two successive access units each time a data packet of the first data packet type precedes a data packet of the second data packet type;
• a means for detecting a border between successive access units by use of the predetermined order by detecting an existence of a border between two successive access units each time a data packet of the first data packet type precedes a data packet of the second data packet type;
• and
• a means for decoding the successive access units.