Video coding and decoding methods are described. In example method includes determining that a differential coding mode is applicable to a conversion between a current video block of a video and a bitstream representation of the current video block, and performing, based on the determining, the conversion between the current video block and the bitstream representation of the current video block using the differential coding mode according to an implementation rule, where, in the differential coding mode, the current video block is represented in the bitstream representation using a difference between a quantized residual of an intra prediction of the current video block and a prediction of the quantized residual, and where, in the differential coding mode, the difference between the quantized residual and the prediction of the quantized residual is represented using a differential pulse coding modulation (DPCM) representation.