A computer-implemented method for rate control in computer-implemented encoding one or more video pictures, comprising: a) determining a quantization parameter to be used for encoding a current picture, being one of the one or more video pictures, using rate control data, wherein a) includes taking picture type of the current picture, picture complexity of the current picture, and a target bitcount into account in determining the QP; b) encoding the current picture into a compressed format using the QP determined in a) to generate an encoded current picture; and c) updating the rate control data based on statistical data determined from the encoded current picture, characterised in that: for a current picture containing a scene change, step a) includes determining the estimated bit usage based on an average actual bit count over all pictures of the same type as the current picture back to a most recent scene change I picture, exclusively, and an average complexity over all pictures of the same type as the current picture back to the most recent scene change I picture, exclusively, and using this estimated bit usage to compute the QP; or for the current picture being an I-picture, step a) includes determining the estimated bit usage from an actual bit usage, complexity and distortion for a most recent P-picture preceding the current picture and an actual bit usage, complexity and distortion for a most recent I-picture preceding the most recent P-picture and using this estimated bit usage to compute the QP. a) determining a quantization parameter to be used for encoding a current picture, being one of the one or more video pictures, using rate control data, wherein a) includes taking picture type of the current picture, picture complexity of the current picture, and a target bitcount into account in determining the QP; b) encoding the current picture into a compressed format using the QP determined in a) to generate an encoded current picture; and c) updating the rate control data based on statistical data determined from the encoded current picture, characterised in that: for a current picture containing a scene change, step a) includes determining the estimated bit usage based on an average actual bit count over all pictures of the same type as the current picture back to a most recent scene change I picture, exclusively, and an average complexity over all pictures of the same type as the current picture back to the most recent scene change I picture, exclusively, and using this estimated bit usage to compute the QP; or for the current picture being an I-picture, step a) includes determining the estimated bit usage from an actual bit usage, complexity and distortion for a most recent P-picture preceding the current picture and an actual bit usage, complexity and distortion for a most recent I-picture preceding the most recent P-picture and using this estimated bit usage to compute the QP. for a current picture containing a scene change, step a) includes determining the estimated bit usage based on an average actual bit count over all pictures of the same type as the current picture back to a most recent scene change I picture, exclusively, and an average complexity over all pictures of the same type as the current picture back to the most recent scene change I picture, exclusively, and using this estimated bit usage to compute the QP; or for the current picture being an I-picture, step a) includes determining the estimated bit usage from an actual bit usage, complexity and distortion for a most recent P-picture preceding the current picture and an actual bit usage, complexity and distortion for a most recent I-picture preceding the most recent P-picture and using this estimated bit usage to compute the QP.