1. A method for selectively controlling at least one hardware device within a video decoder, the method comprising: performing machine-executable instructions for VLC decoding of a video stream; performing machine-executable instructions for encoding a plurality of instructions to control at least one hardware device within the video decoder, the plurality of instructions being encoded within the video stream; decoding in a hardware command queue manager each one of the plurality of instructions; and controlling at least one hardware device within the video decoder in response to the plurality of instructions.