Expressions of artistic intent are identified (e.g. by signaling or content analysis) and expressed as a set of artistic intent positions P.sub.ART and artistic intent characteristics C.sub.ART, Artistic intent characteristics C.sub.ART may be signaled and used to identify artistic intent positions P.sub.ART. Artistic intent preservation coding and processing may be applied to sample positions P.sub.ART to preserve characteristics C.sub.ART. A coding user interface may permit a user to specify an artistic set (e.g. P.sub.ART and/or C.sub.ART) and to select and/or configure treatment of pixels and/or blocks associated with an artistic set, such as a fidelity enhancement, QP adjustment value and/or postprocessing. Content priority or importance levels may be impliedly and/or expressly indicated at fine (e.g. pixel, sample) and/or coarse (e.g. block) levels of content for varying (e.g. enhanced, reduced) levels of treatment in content coding, delivery, processing and/or error resilience/robustness.