1. A method of causing a microprocessor to perform a CODEC deblocking operation on a horizontal row of image pixels across a block edge comprising: providing a first instruction to the microprocessor having three 128-bit operands comprising: 16-bit components of a horizontal row of pixels in a YUV image as a first input operand, wherein the horizontal row of pixels are in image order and include four pixels on either side of a pixel block edge; at least one filter threshold parameter as a second input operand; and a destination operand of a 128-bit register for storing an output of the first instruction as a third operand; calculating an output value of the first instruction; storing the output value of the first instruction in the 128-bit destination register specified in the third operand of the first instruction; providing a second instruction to the microprocessor having three 128-bit operands comprising: the first input operand of the first instruction as a first input operand; the output of the first instruction as a second input operand; and a destination operand of a 128-bit register for storing an output of the second instruction as a third operand; calculating an output value of the second instruction; and storing the output value of the second instruction in the 128-bit register specified in the third operand of the second instruction.