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HEVC Partitioning, Prediction and Coding Technologies
We now introduce the significant components of HEVC processing structures as well as discuss actual
video coding algorithms. Due to significant amount of details only high level concepts are covered.
Further, a 2 column visual presentation style is used that shows for each topic, a key concept shown in the
first column and a related illustration in the second column showing. Since this section is a brief overview
of the standard, the concepts are simplified and not necessarily covered in extreme detail.
Coding Tree Unit/Block (CTU/CTB)
Defined at a high level
A CTU consists of 3 CTBs (1 luma plus
2 chroma)
Luma CTB starting size one of
o 64x64
o 32x32
o 16x16
Corresponding Chroma CTB, half in
size horizontally and vertically
Luma CTB split by recursive
QuadTree down to 8x8
Coding Unit (CU)
Always Square
o Largest CU (LCU) as big as
size of luma CTB
o As small as 8x8
o Sizes: 64x64, 32x32, 16x16,
8x8
Traversed in Zig-zag order
Types: Intra, Inter, Skip
Intra CU
o Largest size 32x32
o Partitioned in to square
Prediction Units (PU) up to
4x4
Inter CU
o Largest size 64x64
o 8x8 CU parttioned into 8x4,
and 4x8 PUs only; no
bidirectional pred
Figure 2A Luma CTB starting size options
Figure 2B Partitioning of a luma CTU into CUs
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