Adaptive up-sample filtering is used to improve compression efficiency of spatially scalable coding systems by more effectively predicting the high-resolution (enhanced-layer) video (or image) from the low-resolution lower-layer video (or image). Different up-sample filters adaptive to local image properties are selectively used for different portions of a low resolution frame to generate a better up-sampled image. Selection between different up-sample filters is determined by a variety of different information available to both the encoder and decoder. In one embodiment, the up-sample filters are selected by the encoder and then explicitly identified to the decoder. Other techniques are then used to minimize the cost of transmitting the up-sample filter identifiers. In alternative embodiments, the encoder and decoder independently make up-sample filters selections.