Example apparatus to encode video disclosed herein include an encoder to perform an intra search first stage based on source pixels of a source video frame to determine first intra candidates to predict a block of the source video frame. In disclosed examples, the encoder is also to perform an intra search second stage based on reconstructed pixels of neighboring blocks associated with the first intra candidates to determine a second intra candidate. In disclosed examples, the encoder is further to encode the block of the source video frame based on the second intra candidate.