A method for compressing a video stream including the steps of: (1) encoding at least two pictures of the video stream as a first intra picture and a second intra picture, where the first intra picture occurs temporally before the second intra picture, (2) encoding another picture of the video stream as a first inter picture, where the first inter picture (a) occurs temporally (i) after the first intra picture and (ii) before the second intra picture and (b) uses (i) the second intra picture and (ii) one other picture occurring temporally before the first inter picture as references, (3) encoding another picture of the video stream as a second inter picture, where the second inter picture (a) occurs temporally (i) after the first intra picture and (ii) before the second intra picture and (b) uses (i) the second intra picture and (ii) the first inter picture as references and (4) encoding another picture in the video stream as a third inter picture, where the third inter picture (a) occurs temporally after the first intra picture and (ii) before the second intra picture and (b) uses (i) the second intra picture and (ii) the second inter picture as references.