Device comprising: a receiver configured to receive a multi-layered video signal composed of a sequence of packets each of which comprises a layer identification syntax element structure composed of a base layer-ID field and an extension layer-ID field; a layer identification extender configured to read, for a predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal comprising a plurality of packets, a maximum syntax element from the multi-layered video signal, indicating a maximally assumed value of the extension layer-ID field of the packets comprised by the predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal, for each of the packets within the predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal, determine the layer ID for the respective packet based on the layer identification syntax element structure, determine a maximum number of layers within the predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal based on the maximally assumed value, and determine at least one characteristic for each of the maximum number of layers by iteratively parsing a layer characterizing syntax portion of the multi-layered video signal a number of times equal to the maximum number of layers. a receiver configured to receive a multi-layered video signal composed of a sequence of packets each of which comprises a layer identification syntax element structure composed of a base layer-ID field and an extension layer-ID field; a layer identification extender configured to read, for a predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal comprising a plurality of packets, a maximum syntax element from the multi-layered video signal, indicating a maximally assumed value of the extension layer-ID field of the packets comprised by the predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal, for each of the packets within the predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal, determine the layer ID for the respective packet based on the layer identification syntax element structure, determine a maximum number of layers within the predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal based on the maximally assumed value, and determine at least one characteristic for each of the maximum number of layers by iteratively parsing a layer characterizing syntax portion of the multi-layered video signal a number of times equal to the maximum number of layers. read, for a predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal comprising a plurality of packets, a maximum syntax element from the multi-layered video signal, indicating a maximally assumed value of the extension layer-ID field of the packets comprised by the predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal, for each of the packets within the predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal, determine the layer ID for the respective packet based on the layer identification syntax element structure, determine a maximum number of layers within the predetermined portion of the multi-layered video signal based on the maximally assumed value, and determine at least one characteristic for each of the maximum number of layers by iteratively parsing a layer characterizing syntax portion of the multi-layered video signal a number of times equal to the maximum number of layers.