A method for use in decoding a group of pictures in an HEVC video stream comprising: identifying (300, 1252) a current picture in the group of pictures for decoding; determining (302, 1254) if a slice type for the current picture is a B-type; when the slice type for the current picture is a B-type, decoding (304, 1256) a flag to determine which of two reference picture lists to use to identify a collocated reference picture in the group of pictures, the collocated reference picture being a reference picture for decoding the current picture; determine if a slice type for the current picture is an I-type; when the slice type for the current picture is not a B-type and is an I-type, not looking for an index for the collocated reference picture and not decoding the flag and the index for the collocated reference picture; when the slice type for the current picture is not a B-type and is not an I-type, assuming a first state of the flag; when the slice type for the current picture is a B-type, or when the slice type for the current picture is not a B-type and is not an I-type: responsive to a first state of the flag, selecting a first reference picture list to be used to identify the collocated reference picture; responsive to a second state of the flag, selecting a second reference picture list to identify the collocated reference picture; determining (306, 308, 1268, 1274) if a number of reference pictures in the selected reference picture list is greater than one; responsive to the number of reference pictures in the selected reference picture list being greater than one, decoding (310, 314, 1270, 1276) an index for the collocated reference picture to identify the collocated reference picture in the selected reference picture list, and identifying the collocated reference picture within the selected reference picture list using the index, responsive to the number of reference pictures in the selected list not being greater than one, identifying the collocated reference picture within the selected reference picture list using a default index; and using (318, 1280) the collocated reference picture to decode the current picture. identifying (300, 1252) a current picture in the group of pictures for decoding; determining (302, 1254) if a slice type for the current picture is a B-type; when the slice type for the current picture is a B-type, decoding (304, 1256) a flag to determine which of two reference picture lists to use to identify a collocated reference picture in the group of pictures, the collocated reference picture being a reference picture for decoding the current picture; determine if a slice type for the current picture is an I-type; when the slice type for the current picture is not a B-type and is an I-type, not looking for an index for the collocated reference picture and not decoding the flag and the index for the collocated reference picture; when the slice type for the current picture is not a B-type and is not an I-type, assuming a first state of the flag; when the slice type for the current picture is a B-type, or when the slice type for the current picture is not a B-type and is not an I-type: responsive to a first state of the flag, selecting a first reference picture list to be used to identify the collocated reference picture; responsive to a second state of the flag, selecting a second reference picture list to identify the collocated reference picture; determining (306, 308, 1268, 1274) if a number of reference pictures in the selected reference picture list is greater than one; responsive to the number of reference pictures in the selected reference picture list being greater than one, decoding (310, 314, 1270, 1276) an index for the collocated reference picture to identify the collocated reference picture in the selected reference picture list, and identifying the collocated reference picture within the selected reference picture list using the index, responsive to the number of reference pictures in the selected list not being greater than one, identifying the collocated reference picture within the selected reference picture list using a default index; and using (318, 1280) the collocated reference picture to decode the current picture. responsive to a first state of the flag, selecting a first reference picture list to be used to identify the collocated reference picture; responsive to a second state of the flag, selecting a second reference picture list to identify the collocated reference picture; determining (306, 308, 1268, 1274) if a number of reference pictures in the selected reference picture list is greater than one; responsive to the number of reference pictures in the selected reference picture list being greater than one, decoding (310, 314, 1270, 1276) an index for the collocated reference picture to identify the collocated reference picture in the selected reference picture list, and identifying the collocated reference picture within the selected reference picture list using the index, responsive to the number of reference pictures in the selected list not being greater than one, identifying the collocated reference picture within the selected reference picture list using a default index; and using (318, 1280) the collocated reference picture to decode the current picture.