A parallel parsing video decoder and method

A video decoding apparatus for decoding an encoded video bitstream having a sequence of video pictures, wherein at least one video picture is encoded in a plurality of slices, wherein each slice comprises a sequence of raster scan order blocks which can be decoded independently of another slice. The video decoding apparatus comprises: an array store configured to store an array of values, with an array entry corresponding to each block position in the video picture, such that each block position has its own corresponding array entry; a plurality of parsing units each configured to perform a parsing operation on a selected sequence of raster scan order blocks in a selected slice and to write a value to a selected array entry corresponding to a first block in the selected sequence, the value indicating a location of parsed data generated by the parsing operation and required to render the selected sequence of blocks; and a rendering unit configured to render the video pictures using the parsed data with reference to the values written to the array store, wherein the plurality of parsing units are configured to perform their respective parsing operations on the plurality of slices in parallel with each other.