There are provided scalable complexity video decoder and encoders for respectively decoding and encoding a video bitstream. A scalable complexity video decoder includes a first combiner, a second combiner, and a deblocking filter. The first combiner is for combining full resolution motion compensated predictions and decoded upsampled base layer residuals to form reconstructed upsampled base layer pictures for display without any deblocking operations applied thereto. The second combiner, in signal communication with the first combiner, is for combining the reconstructed upsampled base layer pictures with decoded enhancement layer residuals to form reconstructed full resolution enhancement layer pictures. The deblocking filter, in signal communication with the second combiner, is for performing deblocking operations on only the reconstructed full resolution enhancement layer pictures to output filtered reconstructed full resolution enhancement layer pictures for display.