Low complexity method embodiments directly decode low-resolution frames from compressed high-resolution videos that were encoded using predictive coding techniques like the H.264 video coding standard. The smaller the decoding resolution, the higher will be the computation and power savings of using the method. Low-frequency coefficients of 2D transformed predictions are added to the low-frequency coefficients of the transformed residual error. Low-frequency coefficients of the reconstructed data are then inverse transformed taking a smaller size transform. Further savings are obtained by reconstructing only those reference pixels that will be needed for accurate decoding of further Intra blocks.