3D video is represented using the Multiview Video plus Depth (MVD) format, in which a small number of captured views as well as associated depth maps are coded and the resulting bitstream packets are multiplexed into a 3D video bitstream. Optionally, the encoder can be configured in a way that a sub-bitstream representing two views without depth data can be extracted and independently decoded for displaying the 3D video on a conventional stereo display. The codec can also be used for coding multiview video signals without depth data. In that case alternative methods such as Image Domain Warping (IDW) may be used to generate a multiview signal. And, when using depth data, it can be configured in a way that the video pictures can be decoded independently of the depth data.