if (len < 15)
  {
    sign = (len - 1) & 1;
    level = (len-1) / 2 + 1;
  }
  else if (len == 15)
  {
    // escape code
    code = (code << 4) | ShowBits(buf, frame_bitoffset, BitstreamLengthInBytes, 4);
    len += 4;
    frame_bitoffset += 4;
    sign = (code & 1);
    level = ((code >> 1) & 0x7) + 8;
  }
  else if (len == 16)
  {
    // escape code
    code = (code << 12) | ShowBits(buf, frame_bitoffset, BitstreamLengthInBytes, 12);
    len += 12;
    frame_bitoffset += 12;
    sign =  (code & 1);
    level = ((code >> 1) & 0x7ff) + 16;
  }
  else
  {
    printf("ERROR reading Level code\n");
    exit(-1);
  }

  if (sign)
    level = -level;

  sym->inf = level;
  sym->len = len;

#if TRACE
  tracebits2(sym->tracestring, sym->len, code);
#endif
  currStream->frame_bitoffset = frame_bitoffset;
  return 0;

}

/*!
 ************************************************************************
 * \brief
 *    read Level VLC codeword from UVLC-partition 
 ************************************************************************
 */
int readSyntaxElement_Level_VLCN(SyntaxElement *sym, int vlc, struct datapartition *dP)  
{
  
  Bitstream   *currStream = dP->bitstream;
  int frame_bitoffset = currStream->frame_bitoffset;
  byte *buf = currStream->streamBuffer;
  int BitstreamLengthInBytes = currStream->bitstream_length;
  
  int levabs, sign;
  int len = 0;
  int code, sb;
  
  int numPrefix;
  int shift = vlc-1;
  int escape = (15<<shift)+1;
  
  // read pre zeros
  numPrefix = 0;
  while (!ShowBits(buf, frame_bitoffset+numPrefix, BitstreamLengthInBytes, 1))
    numPrefix++;
  
  
  len = numPrefix+1;
  code = 1;
  
  if (numPrefix < 15)
  {
    levabs = (numPrefix<<shift) + 1;
    
    // read (vlc-1) bits -> suffix
    if (vlc-1)
    {
      sb =  ShowBits(buf, frame_bitoffset+len, BitstreamLengthInBytes, vlc-1);
      code = (code << (vlc-1) )| sb;
      levabs += sb;
      len += (vlc-1);
    }
    
    // read 1 bit -> sign
    sign = ShowBits(buf, frame_bitoffset+len, BitstreamLengthInBytes, 1);
    code = (code << 1)| sign;
    len ++;
  }
  else  // escape
  {
    // read 11 bits -> levabs
    // levabs += escape
    sb = ShowBits(buf, frame_bitoffset+len, BitstreamLengthInBytes, 11);
    code = (code << 11 )| sb;
    
    levabs =  sb + escape;
    len+=11;
    
    // read 1 bit -> sign
    sign = ShowBits(buf, frame_bitoffset+len, BitstreamLengthInBytes, 1);
    code = (code << 1)| sign;
    len++;
  }
  
  sym->inf = (sign)?-levabs:levabs;
  sym->len = len;
  
  currStream->frame_bitoffset = frame_bitoffset+len;
  
#if TRACE
  tracebits2(sym->tracestring, sym->len, code);
#endif
  
  return 0;
}

/*!
 ************************************************************************
 * \brief
 *    read Total Zeros codeword from UVLC-partition 
 ************************************************************************
 */
int readSyntaxElement_TotalZeros(SyntaxElement *sym,  DataPartition *dP)
{
  int vlcnum, retval;
  int code, *ct, *lt;

  int lentab[TOTRUN_NUM][16] = 
  {
    
    { 1,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,9},  
    { 3,3,3,3,3,4,4,4,4,5,5,6,6,6,6},  
    { 4,3,3,3,4,4,3,3,4,5,5,6,5,6},  
    { 5,3,4,4,3,3,3,4,3,4,5,5,5},  
    { 4,4,4,3,3,3,3,3,4,5,4,5},  
    { 6,5,3,3,3,3,3,3,4,3,6},  
    { 6,5,3,3,3,2,3,4,3,6},  
    { 6,4,5,3,2,2,3,3,6},  
    { 6,6,4,2,2,3,2,5},  
    { 5,5,3,2,2,2,4},  
    { 4,4,3,3,1,3},  
    { 4,4,2,1,3},  
    { 3,3,1,2},  
    { 2,2,1},  
    { 1,1},  
  };

  int codtab[TOTRUN_NUM][16] = 
  {
    {1,3,2,3,2,3,2,3,2,3,2,3,2,3,2,1},
    {7,6,5,4,3,5,4,3,2,3,2,3,2,1,0},
    {5,7,6,5,4,3,4,3,2,3,2,1,1,0},
    {3,7,5,4,6,5,4,3,3,2,2,1,0},
    {5,4,3,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,1,0},
    {1,1,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,1,0},
    {1,1,5,4,3,3,2,1,1,0},
    {1,1,1,3,3,2,2,1,0},
    {1,0,1,3,2,1,1,1,},
    {1,0,1,3,2,1,1,},
    {0,1,1,2,1,3},
    {0,1,1,1,1},
    {0,1,1,1},
    {0,1,1},
    {0,1},  
  };
  vlcnum = sym->value1;

  lt = &lentab[vlcnum][0];
  ct = &codtab[vlcnum][0];

  retval = code_from_bitstream_2d(sym, dP, lt, ct, 16, 1, &code);

  if (retval)
  {
    printf("ERROR: failed to find Total Zeros\n");
    exit(-1);
  }


#if TRACE
    tracebits2(sym->tracestring, sym->len, code);

#endif

  return retval;
}    

/*!
 ************************************************************************
 * \brief
 *    read Total Zeros Chroma DC codeword from UVLC-partition 
 ************************************************************************
 */
int readSyntaxElement_TotalZerosChromaDC(SyntaxElement *sym,  DataPartition *dP)
{
  int vlcnum, retval;
  int code, *ct, *lt;

  int lentab[3][4] = 
  {
    { 1, 2, 3, 3,},
    { 1, 2, 2, 0,},
    { 1, 1, 0, 0,}, 
  };

  int codtab[3][4] = 
  {
    { 1, 1, 1, 0,},
    { 1, 1, 0, 0,},
    { 1, 0, 0, 0,},
  };

  vlcnum = sym->value1;

  lt = &lentab[vlcnum][0];
  ct = &codtab[vlcnum][0];

  retval = code_from_bitstream_2d(sym, dP, lt, ct, 4, 1, &code);

  if (retval)
  {
    printf("ERROR: failed to find Total Zeros\n");
    exit(-1);
  }


#if TRACE
    tracebits2(sym->tracestring, sym->len, code);

#endif

  return retval;
}    


/*!
 ************************************************************************
 * \brief
 *    read  Run codeword from UVLC-partition 
 ************************************************************************
 */
int readSyntaxElement_Run(SyntaxElement *sym,  DataPartition *dP)
{
  int vlcnum, retval;
  int code, *ct, *lt;

  int lentab[TOTRUN_NUM][16] = 
  {
    {1,1},
    {1,2,2},
    {2,2,2,2},
    {2,2,2,3,3},
    {2,2,3,3,3,3},
    {2,3,3,3,3,3,3},
    {3,3,3,3,3,3,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11},
  };

  int codtab[TOTRUN_NUM][16] = 
  {
    {1,0},
    {1,1,0},
    {3,2,1,0},
    {3,2,1,1,0},
    {3,2,3,2,1,0},
    {3,0,1,3,2,5,4},
    {7,6,5,4,3,2,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1},
  };

  vlcnum = sym->value1;

  lt = &lentab[vlcnum][0];
  ct = &codtab[vlcnum][0];

  retval = code_from_bitstream_2d(sym, dP, lt, ct, 16, 1, &code);

  if (retval)
  {
    printf("ERROR: failed to find Run\n");
    exit(-1);
  }


#if TRACE
    tracebits2(sym->tracestring, sym->len, code);
#endif

  return retval;
}    


/*!
 ************************************************************************
 * \brief
 *  Reads bits from the bitstream buffer
 *
 * \param buffer
 *    containing VLC-coded data bits
 * \param totbitoffset
 *    bit offset from start of partition
 * \param info
 *    returns value of the read bits
 * \param bytecount
 *    total bytes in bitstream
 * \param numbits
 *    number of bits to read
 *
 ************************************************************************
 */
int GetBits (byte buffer[],int totbitoffset,int *info, int bytecount, 
             int numbits)
{

  register int inf;
  long byteoffset;      // byte from start of buffer
  int bitoffset;      // bit from start of byte

  int bitcounter=numbits;

  byteoffset= totbitoffset/8;
  bitoffset= 7-(totbitoffset%8);

  inf=0;
  while (numbits)
  {
    inf <<=1;
    inf |= (buffer[byteoffset] & (0x01<<bitoffset))>>bitoffset;
    numbits--;
    bitoffset--;
    if (bitoffset < 0)
    {
      byteoffset++;
      bitoffset += 8;
      if (byteoffset > bytecount)
      {
        return -1;
      }
    }
  }

  *info = inf;
  return bitcounter;           // return absolute offset in bit from start of frame
}     

/*!
 ************************************************************************
 * \brief
 *  Reads bits from the bitstream buffer
 *
 * \param buffer
 *    buffer containing VLC-coded data bits
 * \param totbitoffset
 *    bit offset from start of partition
 * \param bytecount
 *    total bytes in bitstream
 * \param numbits
 *    number of bits to read
 *
 ************************************************************************
 */

int ShowBits (byte buffer[],int totbitoffset,int bytecount, int numbits)
{

  register int inf;
  long byteoffset;      // byte from start of buffer
  int bitoffset;      // bit from start of byte

  byteoffset= totbitoffset/8;
  bitoffset= 7-(totbitoffset%8);

  inf=0;
  while (numbits)
  {
    inf <<=1;
    inf |= (buffer[byteoffset] & (0x01<<bitoffset))>>bitoffset;
    numbits--;
    bitoffset--;
    if (bitoffset < 0)
    {
      byteoffset++;
      bitoffset += 8;
      if (byteoffset > bytecount)
      {
        return -1;
      }
    }
  }

  return inf;           // return absolute offset in bit from start of frame
}     


/*!
 ************************************************************************
 * \brief
 *    peek at the next 2 UVLC codeword from UVLC-partition to determine
 *    if a skipped MB is field/frame
 ************************************************************************
 */
int peekSyntaxElement_UVLC(SyntaxElement *sym, struct img_par *img, struct inp_par *inp, struct datapartition *dP)
{
  Bitstream   *currStream = dP->bitstream;
  int frame_bitoffset = currStream->frame_bitoffset;
  byte *buf = currStream->streamBuffer;
  int BitstreamLengthInBytes = currStream->bitstream_length;


  sym->len =  GetVLCSymbol (buf, frame_bitoffset, &(sym->inf), BitstreamLengthInBytes);
  if (sym->len == -1)
    return -1;
  frame_bitoffset += sym->len;
  sym->mapping(sym->len,sym->inf,&(sym->value1),&(sym->value2));


#if TRACE
  tracebits(sym->tracestring, sym->len, sym->inf, sym->value1);
#endif

  return 1;
}