Coefficient level coding in a video coding process

1. A method of decoding video data, the method comprising:

receiving, from an encoded bitstream, a first syntax element indicating a range of values based on a bit-depth, wherein the range of values is used to represent absolute values of transform coefficients of a coding unit of the video data, wherein the range of values includes a minimum value and a maximum value, wherein the bit-depth represents a number of bits used to represent luma or chroma video components of the coding unit of the video data, and wherein the coding unit of the video data is a region of the video data;

receiving, from the encoded bitstream, a second syntax element indicating an absolute value of a first transform coefficient of the transform coefficients of the coding unit of the video data, wherein the second syntax element is represented by a prefix codeword and a suffix codeword concatenated to the prefix codeword;

determining a maximum number of suffix bits to be used when decoding the suffix codeword of the second syntax element, wherein the maximum number of suffix bits is based on the maximum value of the range indicated by the first syntax element that is based on the bit-depth representing the number of bits used to represent luma or chroma video components of the coding unit of the video data;

determining a maximum number of prefix bits to be used when decoding the prefix codeword of the second syntax element, wherein the maximum number of prefix bits is based on a difference between the determined maximum number of suffix bits and a value representative of a maximum number of bits used to represent the transform coefficients of the coding unit of the video data;

decoding the prefix codeword of the second syntax element based on the determined maximum number of prefix bits, wherein the prefix codeword has a number of bits that is less than or equal to the determined maximum number of prefix bits;

decoding the suffix codeword of the second syntax element based on the determined maximum number of suffix bits, wherein the suffix codeword has a number of bits that is less than or equal to the determined maximum number of suffix bits;

determining the absolute value of the first transform coefficient based on the decoded prefix codeword and the decoded suffix codeword; and

decoding the coding unit based on the determined absolute value of the first transform coefficient.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prefix codeword comprises a truncated unary representation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second syntax element is coeff_abs_level_remaining.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the maximum number of suffix bits is equal to a value of a Log2TransformRange variable for a video component of the coding unit, wherein the value of the Log2TransformRange variable indicates a maximum number of bits needed to represent the absolute values of the transform coefficients.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the maximum number of prefix bits and the maximum number of suffix bits when a coding mode of the coding unit is bypass mode, lossless mode, or skip mode.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining that the maximum number of prefix bits and the maximum number of suffix bits are equal when the coding mode is bypass mode, lossless mode, or skip mode.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a maximum value of the prefix comprises a maximum truncated unary representation having the maximum number of prefix bits.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the maximum number of prefix bits and the maximum number of suffix bits based on a coding mode of the coding unit.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first syntax element is Log2TransformRange and the second syntax element is coeff_abs_level_remaining.

10. A method of encoding video data, the method comprising:

generating transform coefficients for a coding unit of the video data, wherein the coding unit of the video data is a region of the video data;

generating a first syntax element indicating a range of values based on a bit-depth, wherein the range of values is used to represent absolute values of the transform coefficients of the coding unit of the video data, wherein the range of values includes a minimum value and a maximum value, and wherein the bit-depth represents a number of bits used to represent luma or chroma video components of the coding unit of the video data;

generating a second syntax element indicating an absolute value of a first transform coefficient of the transform coefficients of the coding unit of the video data;

determining a maximum number of suffix bits to be used when encoding a suffix codeword corresponding to the second syntax element, wherein the maximum number of suffix bits is based on the maximum value of the range indicated by the first syntax element that is based on the bit-depth representing the number of bits used to represent luma or chroma video components of the coding unit of the video data;

determining a maximum number of prefix bits to be used when encoding a prefix codeword corresponding to the second syntax element, wherein the maximum number of prefix bits is based on a difference between the determined maximum number of suffix bits and a value representative of a maximum number of bits used to represent the transform coefficients of the coding unit of the video data;

encoding the prefix codeword corresponding to the second syntax element based on the determined maximum number of prefix bits, wherein the prefix codeword has a number of bits that is less than or equal to the determined maximum number of prefix bits;

encoding the suffix codeword corresponding to the second syntax element based on the determined maximum number of suffix bits, wherein the suffix codeword has a number of bits that is less than or equal to the determined maximum number of suffix bits, and wherein the suffix codeword is concatenated to the prefix codeword; and

generating an encoded bitstream including the prefix codeword and the suffix codeword that together represent the second syntax element.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the prefix codeword comprises a truncated unary representation.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second syntax element is coeff_abs_level_remaining.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the maximum number of suffix bits is equal to a value of a Log2TransformRange variable for a video component of the coding unit, wherein the value of the Log2TransformRange variable indicates a maximum number of bits needed to represent the absolute values of the transform coefficients.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising adjusting the maximum number of prefix bits and the maximum number of suffix bits when a coding mode of the coding unit is bypass mode, lossless mode, or skip mode.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining that the maximum number of prefix bits and the maximum number of suffix bits are equal when the coding mode is bypass mode, lossless mode, or skip mode.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein a maximum value of the prefix comprises a maximum truncated unary representation having the maximum number of prefix bits.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising adjusting the maximum number of prefix bits and the maximum number of suffix bits based on a coding mode of the coding unit.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first syntax element is Log2TransformRange and the second syntax element is coeff_abs_level_remaining.

19. A device for decoding video data comprising:

a memory configured to store video data; and

at least one processor configured to:

receive, from an encoded bitstream, a first syntax element indicating a range of values based on a bit-depth, wherein the range of values is used to represent absolute values of transform coefficients of a coding unit of the video data, wherein the range of values includes a minimum value and a maximum value, wherein the bit-depth represents a number of bits used to represent luma or chroma video components of the coding unit of the video data, and wherein the coding unit of the video data is a region of the video data;

receive, from the encoded bitstream, a second syntax element indicating an absolute value of a first transform coefficient of the transform coefficients of the coding unit of the video data, wherein the second syntax element is represented by a prefix codeword and a suffix codeword concatenated to the prefix codeword;

determine a maximum number of suffix bits to be used when decoding the suffix codeword of the second syntax element, wherein the maximum number of suffix bits is based on the maximum value of the range indicated by the first syntax element that is based on the bit-depth representing the number of bits used to represent luma or chroma video components of the coding unit of the video data;

determine a maximum number of prefix bits to be used when decoding the prefix codeword of the second syntax element, wherein the maximum number of prefix bits is based on a difference between the determined maximum number of suffix bits and a value representative of a maximum number of bits used to represent the transform coefficients of the coding unit of the video data;

decode the prefix codeword of the second syntax element based on the determined maximum number of prefix bits, wherein the prefix codeword has a number of bits that is less than or equal to the determined maximum number of prefix bits;

decode the suffix codeword of the second syntax element based on the determined maximum number of suffix bits, wherein the suffix codeword has a number of bits that is less than or equal to the determined maximum number of suffix bits;

determine the absolute value of the first transform coefficient based on the decoded prefix codeword and the decoded suffix codeword; and

decode the coding unit based on the determined absolute value of the first transform coefficient.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust the maximum number of prefix bits and the maximum number of suffix bits when a coding mode of the coding unit is bypass mode, lossless mode, or skip mode.

21. The device of claim 19 , wherein the prefix codeword comprises a truncated unary representation.

22. The device of claim 19 , wherein the second syntax element is coeff_abs_level_remaining.

23. The device of claim 19 , wherein the first syntax element is Log2TransformRange and the second syntax element is coeff_abs_level_remaining.