A 3-dimensional (3D) video transmitter may be operable to determine a modification process to be utilized for modifying an enhancement layer of a 3D video frame before encoding of the enhancement layer. The modification process may provide increased compression efficiency during the encoding. The enhancement layer may be modified utilizing the determined modification process. The modified enhancement layer may then be encoded by the 3D video transmitter. The 3D video transmitter may transmit the encoded base layer and the encoded enhancement layer as well as modification information associated with the modified enhancement layer to a 3D video receiver. The 3D video receiver may decode the transmitted encoded base layer and the transmitted encoded enhancement layer. The 3D video receiver may then modify the decoded enhancement layer, based on the transmitted modification information, so as to recover an original image of the enhancement layer of the 3D video frame.