s. Each MVC sequence parameter set RBSP is initially considered not active at the start of the operation of the decoding process. At most one MVC sequence parameter set RBSP is considered as the active MVC sequence parameter set RBSP at any given moment during the operation of the decoding process, and when any particular MVC sequence parameter set RBSP becomes the active MVC sequence parameter set RBSP, the previously-active MVC sequence parameter set RBSP (if any) is deactivated. In addition to the active MVC sequence parameter set RBSP, zero or more MVC sequence parameter set RBSPs may be specifically active for view components (with a particular value of VOIdx less than VOIdxMax) that may be referred to through inter-view prediction in decoding the view component with VOIdx equal to VOIdxMax. Such an MVC sequence parameter set RBSP is referred to as the active view MVC sequence parameter set RBSP for the particular value of VOIdx. The restrictions on active MVC sequence parameter set RBSPs also apply to active view MVC sequence parameter set RBSPs for a particular value of VOIdx less than VOIdxMax. For the following specification, the activating buffering period SEI message is specified as follows: If VOIdxMax is equal to VOIdxMin and the access unit contains a buffering period SEI message not included in an MVC scalable nesting SEI message, this buffering period SEI message is the activating buffering period SEI message. Otherwise if VOIdxMax is not equal to VOIdxMin and the access unit contains a buffering period SEI message included in an MVC scalable nesting SEI message and associated with the operation point being decoded, this buffering period SEI message is the activating buffering period SEI message. Otherwise, the access unit does not contain an activating buffering period SEI message. When a sequence parameter set RBSP (nal_unit_type is equal to 7) with a particular value of eq_parameter_set_idis not already the active MVC sequence parameter set RBSP and it is referred to by activation of a picture 