A video decoding apparatus for decoding a current picture of a video comprising: an obtaining unit configured for obtaining, from a Picture Parameter Set of the current picture in a bitstream, first information indicating whether a dependent slice segment may be used in the current picture; an entropy decoding unit configured for entropy decoding syntax elements of a current Largest Coding Unit in a first slice segment of the current picture; wherein the obtaining unit is further configured for obtaining, from the bitstream, second information indicating whether the current LCU is the last LCU in the first slice segment of the current picture; wherein the entropy decoding unit is further configured for storing context variables for the current LCU when the last syntax element of the current LCU is decoded if the first information indicates that a dependent slice segment may be used in the current picture and the second information indicates that the current LCU is the last LCU in the first slice segment of the current picture; wherein the entropy decoding unit is further configured for determining a number of entry points of subsets that are included in the first slice segment based on third information obtained from a slice segment header of the first slice segment in the bitstream; wherein the entropy decoding unit is further configured for determining positions of the entry points based on an offset which is 1 larger than a number indicated by fourth information obtained from the bitstream; wherein the number and the positions of the entry points are determined if synchronization can be performed for context variables in the current picture, and wherein the entropy decoding unit is further configured for decoding the picture based on the stored context variables and the entry points. an obtaining unit configured for obtaining, from a Picture Parameter Set of the current picture in a bitstream, first information indicating whether a dependent slice segment may be used in the current picture; an entropy decoding unit configured for entropy decoding syntax elements of a current Largest Coding Unit in a first slice segment of the current picture; wherein the obtaining unit is further configured for obtaining, from the bitstream, second information indicating whether the current LCU is the last LCU in the first slice segment of the current picture; wherein the entropy decoding unit is further configured for storing context variables for the current LCU when the last syntax element of the current LCU is decoded if the first information indicates that a dependent slice segment may be used in the current picture and the second information indicates that the current LCU is the last LCU in the first slice segment of the current picture; wherein the entropy decoding unit is further configured for determining a number of entry points of subsets that are included in the first slice segment based on third information obtained from a slice segment header of the first slice segment in the bitstream; wherein the entropy decoding unit is further configured for determining positions of the entry points based on an offset which is 1 larger than a number indicated by fourth information obtained from the bitstream; wherein the number and the positions of the entry points are determined if synchronization can be performed for context variables in the current picture, and wherein the entropy decoding unit is further configured for decoding the picture based on the stored context variables and the entry points.