Patent ID: 7046916

Claim:
A method for formatting a sequence of video images comprising the steps of: encoding successive images of the sequence according to a predetermined coding scheme in which some images of the sequence are intra-coded, without reference to any other image of the sequence, and the remainder are respectively coded with reference to at least one further images of the sequence; formatting the encoded data for each image into one or a sequence of data blocks and outputting a data block stream formed of the data block or blocks from successive ones of the sequence of video images, said formatting including formatting at least one image of the sequence into a plurality of data blocks; characterised in that the step of formatting comprises the further steps of identifying intra-coded frames and of inserting additional data blocks in said data block stream at fixed periodically repeated intervals, each of said additional data blocks carrying data identifying the relative location in the block stream of the first only data block in the data block stream of the closest previously formatted intra-coded image frame.