A method for decoding an encoded bitstream using video syntax, comprising: receiving encoded video bitstream; extracting video usability information, VUI, parameters from the video bitstream, said VUI parameters being according to a syntax supporting a number of separate occurrences of temporal layers, said number being equal to a temporal layer count, and a temporal layer being defined as a portion of the video bitstream representing a video stream at a specified frame rate, whereby the temporal layers form a hierarchy with higher layers including lower layers; extracting a temporal layer from the video bitstream based on the extracted VUI parameters syntax in the video syntax; and decoding the encoded bitstream based on the extracted temporal layer to generate a video stream; characterized in that the VUI parameters include: hypothetical reference decoder parameters describing a hypothetical reference decoder; a field sequence flag indicating whether or not the video bitstream includes any video representing fields, a timing information present flag indicating whether timing information is included in the bitstream; and if the timing information present flag indicates that timing information is included in the bitstream: time scale, indicating a number of time units that pass in one second; num_units_in_tick, indicating a number of time units of a clock operating at a frequency of the time scale, corresponding to a minimum interval of time that can be represented in the video bitstream; and a fixed picture rate flag indicating whether a temporal distance between two consecutive pictures in output order of the video stream is constrained; wherein the field sequence flag, the timing information present flag, the time scale, the num_units_in_tick and the fixed picture rate flag are common to all temporal layers in the video syntax; and the VUI parameters comprise separate hypothetical reference decoder parameters for each temporal layer. receiving encoded video bitstream; extracting video usability information, VUI, parameters from the video bitstream, said VUI parameters being according to a syntax supporting a number of separate occurrences of temporal layers, said number being equal to a temporal layer count, and a temporal layer being defined as a portion of the video bitstream representing a video stream at a specified frame rate, whereby the temporal layers form a hierarchy with higher layers including lower layers; extracting a temporal layer from the video bitstream based on the extracted VUI parameters syntax in the video syntax; and decoding the encoded bitstream based on the extracted temporal layer to generate a video stream; characterized in that the VUI parameters include: hypothetical reference decoder parameters describing a hypothetical reference decoder; a field sequence flag indicating whether or not the video bitstream includes any video representing fields, a timing information present flag indicating whether timing information is included in the bitstream; and if the timing information present flag indicates that timing information is included in the bitstream: time scale, indicating a number of time units that pass in one second; num_units_in_tick, indicating a number of time units of a clock operating at a frequency of the time scale, corresponding to a minimum interval of time that can be represented in the video bitstream; and a fixed picture rate flag indicating whether a temporal distance between two consecutive pictures in output order of the video stream is constrained; wherein the field sequence flag, the timing information present flag, the time scale, the num_units_in_tick and the fixed picture rate flag are common to all temporal layers in the video syntax; and the VUI parameters comprise separate hypothetical reference decoder parameters for each temporal layer. hypothetical reference decoder parameters describing a hypothetical reference decoder; a field sequence flag indicating whether or not the video bitstream includes any video representing fields, a timing information present flag indicating whether timing information is included in the bitstream; and if the timing information present flag indicates that timing information is included in the bitstream: time scale, indicating a number of time units that pass in one second; num_units_in_tick, indicating a number of time units of a clock operating at a frequency of the time scale, corresponding to a minimum interval of time that can be represented in the video bitstream; and a fixed picture rate flag indicating whether a temporal distance between two consecutive pictures in output order of the video stream is constrained; wherein the field sequence flag, the timing information present flag, the time scale, the num_units_in_tick and the fixed picture rate flag are common to all temporal layers in the video syntax; and the VUI parameters comprise separate hypothetical reference decoder parameters for each temporal layer. time scale, indicating a number of time units that pass in one second; num_units_in_tick, indicating a number of time units of a clock operating at a frequency of the time scale, corresponding to a minimum interval of time that can be represented in the video bitstream; and a fixed picture rate flag indicating whether a temporal distance between two consecutive pictures in output order of the video stream is constrained;