A method (220, 230) for decoding video data, the method comprising: parsing (222, 232) a syntax element from a bitstream, the bitstream including a coded slice Network Abstraction Layer unit for a slice of a picture of the video data, the slice including a slice header followed by slice data, the picture being partitioned into a grid of coding tree blocks (CTBs) (352A-D), each CTB being associated with a different equally sized block of pixels within the picture, the coded slice NAL unit including a plurality of sub-streams, wherein when the syntax element has a particular value it indicates that each respective row of CTBs of the picture forms a respective tile of the picture, wherein each respective sub-stream of the plurality of sub-streams contains either all encoded bits of a respective tile of the picture, a number of ending encoded bits of the respective tile, or a number of starting encoded bits of the respective tile, and none of the sub-streams contains encoded bits of more than one tile of the picture; determining based on the syntax element, whether the sub-streams include padding bits that ensure byte alignment of the sub-streams; determining based on the syntax element, whether a slice header includes a plurality of offset syntax elements; and in response to determining that the syntax element has the particular value, using the plurality of offset syntax elements to determine entry points of sub-streams in the slice data and decoding (226, 246) each tile of the picture using wavefront parallel processing, wherein decoding using WPP comprises decoding CTBs of a row (350A-E) of the picture from left-to-right after two or more CTBs of an immediately higher row of the picture have been decoded, wherein when the syntax element has the particular value a memorization process is invoked after decoding two CTBs of a row of CTBs of the picture and a synchronization process is invoked before decoding the first CTB of a row of CTBs, wherein, when the syntax element does not have the particular value, the picture has one or more tiles (402A-F) and each tile of the picture is decoded (228, 236, 240, 244) without using WPP. parsing (222, 232) a syntax element from a bitstream, the bitstream including a coded slice Network Abstraction Layer unit for a slice of a picture of the video data, the slice including a slice header followed by slice data, the picture being partitioned into a grid of coding tree blocks (CTBs) (352A-D), each CTB being associated with a different equally sized block of pixels within the picture, the coded slice NAL unit including a plurality of sub-streams, wherein when the syntax element has a particular value it indicates that each respective row of CTBs of the picture forms a respective tile of the picture, wherein each respective sub-stream of the plurality of sub-streams contains either all encoded bits of a respective tile of the picture, a number of ending encoded bits of the respective tile, or a number of starting encoded bits of the respective tile, and none of the sub-streams contains encoded bits of more than one tile of the picture; determining based on the syntax element, whether the sub-streams include padding bits that ensure byte alignment of the sub-streams; determining based on the syntax element, whether a slice header includes a plurality of offset syntax elements; and in response to determining that the syntax element has the particular value, using the plurality of offset syntax elements to determine entry points of sub-streams in the slice data and decoding (226, 246) each tile of the picture using wavefront parallel processing, wherein decoding using WPP comprises decoding CTBs of a row (350A-E) of the picture from left-to-right after two or more CTBs of an immediately higher row of the picture have been decoded, wherein when the syntax element has the particular value a memorization process is invoked after decoding two CTBs of a row of CTBs of the picture and a synchronization process is invoked before decoding the first CTB of a row of CTBs, wherein, when the syntax element does not have the particular value, the picture has one or more tiles (402A-F) and each tile of the picture is decoded (228, 236, 240, 244) without using WPP.