Methods and apparatus for context selection of block transform coefficients

A method for use in a block transform-based coding system of processing (e.g., encoding and/or decoding) one or more block transform coefficients associated with at least one block of visual data (e.g., an image and/or video sequence) comprises the following steps. First, one or more previously reconstructed block transform coefficients associated with the visual data are identified. Then, a context selection value is computed for use in processing a block transform coefficient associated with the at least one block, the context selection value being based on the one or more previously reconstructed block transform coefficients. The context selection value may be computed as a function of one or more values respectively associated with one or more previously reconstructed block transform coefficients in near proximity, with respect to a scanning order, to the block transform coefficient to be processed. Further, the context selection value may be computed as a function of a spatial frequency associated with the block transform coefficient. Still further, the context selection value may be computed as a function of both the one or more values respectively associated with the one or more previously reconstructed block transform coefficients in near scanning order proximity and the spatial frequency associated with the block transform coefficient.