Often hierarchical bi-directionally predicted frame structures are used for encoding a video picture sequence. The frames may consist of interlacing fields. A method for encoding interlaced video, wherein inter-prediction of fields is used and reference lists are assigned to the fields for indicating reference frames or fields, comprises that, if within such reference list a reference to another frame is included, then references to both fields of the other frame are included separately in direct sequence. Further, a temporal level is assigned to each of the frames according to their display order, and for the frames of all except one temporal level the quantization parameter is higher for one type of fields than for the other type of fields.