A method for determining coding unit (CU) partitioning of a largest coding unit (LCU) of a picture is provided that includes computing a first statistical measure and a second statistical measure for the LCU, selecting the LCU as the CU partitioning when the first statistical measure does not exceed a first threshold and the second statistical measure does not exceed a second threshold, and selecting CUs in one or more lower layers of a CU hierarchy of the LCU to form the CU partitioning when the first statistical measure exceeds the first threshold and/or the second statistical measure exceeds the second threshold.