Aspects of the disclosure provide an apparatus for encoding a sequence of pictures into a coded bit stream. The apparatus can include a decoded picture buffer (DPB) configured to store reference pictures, at least one of the reference pictures being an interpolated reference picture (IRP), an interpolation circuit configured to generate the IRP based on the reference pictures stored in the DPB, an encoding circuit configured to encode a current picture in the sequence of pictures based on a value of a variable indicating whether the current picture is to be encoded using the IRP, and an encoding controller configured to determine the value of the variable according to a size of DPB and the reference pictures stored in the DPB.