A method for switching between a first bitstream and a second bitstream, wherein the second bitstream provides a higher data rate than the first bitstream, the method comprising: identifying a switching up period associated with the first and second bitstreams, the first bitstream comprising first encoded data for a plurality of frames within a video sequence, wherein a first portion of the first encoded data is transmitted in a base layer portion of the first bitstream and a second portion of the first encoded data is transmitted in an enhanced layer portion of the first bitstream, wherein the second bitstream comprises second encoded data for the plurality of frames within the video sequence, wherein a first portion of the second encoded data is transmitted in a base layer portion of the second bitstream; establishing a third bitstream (206, 208) during the switching up period, the third bitstream (206, 208) being configured to carry additional data associated with a switch up from the first bitstream to the second bitstream, wherein, for a frame N of the plurality of frames being an access point for switching up, the additional data is based at least on a difference between a first set of quantized discrete cosine transform, DCT, coefficients of a first reconstructed image from the first bitstream and a second set of quantized DCT coefficients of a second reconstructed image from the second bitstream, wherein the first reconstructed image is an image reconstructed from the enhanced layer portion of the first bitstream for frame N and the second reconstructed image is an image reconstructed from the base layer portion of the second bitstream for frame N, wherein the first set of quantized DCT coefficients of the first reconstructed image and the second set of quantized DCT coefficients of the second reconstructed image are obtained by quantizing corresponding sets of DCT coefficients of the first reconstructed image and the second reconstructed image with a same quantization parameter and wherein the additional data is bit-plane coded; and switching up from the first bitstream to the second bitstream during the switching up period. identifying a switching up period associated with the first and second bitstreams, the first bitstream comprising first encoded data for a plurality of frames within a video sequence, wherein a first portion of the first encoded data is transmitted in a base layer portion of the first bitstream and a second portion of the first encoded data is transmitted in an enhanced layer portion of the first bitstream, wherein the second bitstream comprises second encoded data for the plurality of frames within the video sequence, wherein a first portion of the second encoded data is transmitted in a base layer portion of the second bitstream; establishing a third bitstream (206, 208) during the switching up period, the third bitstream (206, 208) being configured to carry additional data associated with a switch up from the first bitstream to the second bitstream, wherein, for a frame N of the plurality of frames being an access point for switching up, the additional data is based at least on a difference between a first set of quantized discrete cosine transform, DCT, coefficients of a first reconstructed image from the first bitstream and a second set of quantized DCT coefficients of a second reconstructed image from the second bitstream, wherein the first reconstructed image is an image reconstructed from the enhanced layer portion of the first bitstream for frame N and the second reconstructed image is an image reconstructed from the base layer portion of the second bitstream for frame N, wherein the first set of quantized DCT coefficients of the first reconstructed image and the second set of quantized DCT coefficients of the second reconstructed image are obtained by quantizing corresponding sets of DCT coefficients of the first reconstructed image and the second reconstructed image with a same quantization parameter and wherein the additional data is bit-plane coded; and switching up from the first bitstream to the second bitstream during the switching up period.