An apparatus for decoding 3D video data, the 3D video data comprising a plurality of texture frames and a plurality of associated depth maps, the apparatus comprising: a first texture decoder configured to decode a video coding block of a first texture frame, T " ̃ R, k, associated with a first view; a first depth map decoder configured to decode a video coding block of a first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k, associated with the first texture frame; a depth map filter configured to generate an auxiliary depth map, DM " ̅ ̅ R, k, on the basis of the first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k; a first view synthesis prediction unit configured to generate a predicted video coding block of a view synthesis predicted second texture frame, T " ^ R, k, associated with a second view on the basis of the video coding block of the first texture frame, T " ̃ R, k, and the auxiliary depth map, DM " ̅ R, k, by warping the video coding block of the first texture frame, T " ̃ R, k, according to the auxiliary depth map, DM " ̅ R, k and camera parameters; and a second view synthesis prediction unit configured to generate a predicted video coding block of a view synthesis predicted second depth map, DM " ^ R, k, on the basis of the first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k,, wherein the view synthesis predicted second depth map, DM " ^ R, k, is associated with the view synthesis predicted second texture frame, T " ^ R, k, characterized in that the depth map filter is configured to: detect at least one edge in the first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k, and to generate the auxiliary depth map, DM " ̅ R, k, on the basis of the pixels of the first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k, in the vicinity of the at least one edge and generate the auxiliary depth map, DM " ̅ R, k, as the solution of a boundary value problem ∇(∇ Z ∗) = 0, Z ∗ | ∂Ω D = Z | ∂Ω D, and ∇ Z n * | ∂Ω N = 0, wherein ∇ denotes the Nabla operator, Z | ∂Ω D denotes the detected depth map edges, ∂Ω N denotes the position of the image borders, ∇Z * n | ∂ΩN is the value of gradient normal to the edge ∂Ω N and Z denotes the depth as the distance to the camera, wherein the at least one edge in the first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k, defines a boundary of the boundary value problem. a first texture decoder configured to decode a video coding block of a first texture frame, T " ̃ R, k, associated with a first view; a first depth map decoder configured to decode a video coding block of a first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k, associated with the first texture frame; a depth map filter configured to generate an auxiliary depth map, DM " ̅ ̅ R, k, on the basis of the first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k; a first view synthesis prediction unit configured to generate a predicted video coding block of a view synthesis predicted second texture frame, T " ^ R, k, associated with a second view on the basis of the video coding block of the first texture frame, T " ̃ R, k, and the auxiliary depth map, DM " ̅ R, k, by warping the video coding block of the first texture frame, T " ̃ R, k, according to the auxiliary depth map, DM " ̅ R, k and camera parameters; and a second view synthesis prediction unit configured to generate a predicted video coding block of a view synthesis predicted second depth map, DM " ^ R, k, on the basis of the first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k,, wherein the view synthesis predicted second depth map, DM " ^ R, k, is associated with the view synthesis predicted second texture frame, T " ^ R, k, characterized in that the depth map filter is configured to: detect at least one edge in the first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k, and to generate the auxiliary depth map, DM " ̅ R, k, on the basis of the pixels of the first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k, in the vicinity of the at least one edge and generate the auxiliary depth map, DM " ̅ R, k, as the solution of a boundary value problem ∇(∇ Z ∗) = 0, Z ∗ | ∂Ω D = Z | ∂Ω D, and ∇ Z n * | ∂Ω N = 0, wherein ∇ denotes the Nabla operator, Z | ∂Ω D denotes the detected depth map edges, ∂Ω N denotes the position of the image borders, ∇Z * n | ∂ΩN is the value of gradient normal to the edge ∂Ω N and Z denotes the depth as the distance to the camera, wherein the at least one edge in the first depth map, DM " ̃ R, k, defines a boundary of the boundary value problem.