A method of video encoding using Intra-block copy mode, IntraBC mode, coding for a picture, the method comprising: receiving a current working block in a current coding tree unit, CTU, in a current CTU row of a current picture; selecting a reference block from an available reference area, wherein the available reference area comprises one or more previously processed blocks before the current working block in the current CTU row and one or more previously processed blocks in one or more previous CTU rows, wherein a location of the last previously processed block of a second previous CTU row of the one or more previous CTU rows, which belongs to the available reference area, is always in a same horizontal location or after a same horizontal position of the last previously processed block of a first previous CTU row of the one or more previous CTU rows, which belongs to the available reference area, wherein the second previous CTU row is one CTU row farther away from the current CTU row than the first previous CTU row, and wherein a location of the last previously processed block of the previous CTU row above the current CTU row, which belongs to the reference area, is always in a same horizontal location or after a same horizontal position of the current working block; encoding the current working block according to the IntraBC mode using the reference block as a predictor; and generating compressed data for the current working block; characterized in that the available reference area for the current working block (x_cur, y_cur) consists of all previously processed blocks at (x_ref, y_ref); wherein (x_ref, y_ref) satisfies the following conditions, e) x_ref < x_cur and y_ref ≤ y_cur, and f) x_cur ≤ x_ref < (x_cur + N) and y_ref < y_cur, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to one. receiving a current working block in a current coding tree unit, CTU, in a current CTU row of a current picture; selecting a reference block from an available reference area, wherein the available reference area comprises one or more previously processed blocks before the current working block in the current CTU row and one or more previously processed blocks in one or more previous CTU rows, wherein a location of the last previously processed block of a second previous CTU row of the one or more previous CTU rows, which belongs to the available reference area, is always in a same horizontal location or after a same horizontal position of the last previously processed block of a first previous CTU row of the one or more previous CTU rows, which belongs to the available reference area, wherein the second previous CTU row is one CTU row farther away from the current CTU row than the first previous CTU row, and wherein a location of the last previously processed block of the previous CTU row above the current CTU row, which belongs to the reference area, is always in a same horizontal location or after a same horizontal position of the current working block; encoding the current working block according to the IntraBC mode using the reference block as a predictor; and generating compressed data for the current working block; characterized in that the available reference area for the current working block (x_cur, y_cur) consists of all previously processed blocks at (x_ref, y_ref); wherein (x_ref, y_ref) satisfies the following conditions, e) x_ref < x_cur and y_ref ≤ y_cur, and f) x_cur ≤ x_ref < (x_cur + N) and y_ref < y_cur, e) x_ref < x_cur and y_ref ≤ y_cur, and f) x_cur ≤ x_ref < (x_cur + N) and y_ref < y_cur, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to one.