1. An apparatus comprising: a memory configured to store a picture being encoded; and a circuit configured to (i) calculate a plurality of first arrays directly from a plurality of neighboring samples around a current block of said picture, wherein (a) each of said first arrays represents a respective one of a plurality of intra-prediction modes and (b) each of said first arrays is spatially smaller than said current block, (ii) calculate a second array from a plurality of current samples in said current block, wherein said second array spatially matches said first arrays, (iii) generate a plurality of scores of said intra-prediction modes by comparing said first arrays with said second array and (iv) select a given one of said intra-prediction modes corresponding to a lowest of said scores to encode said current block.