(2) In the video information encoding method according to (1), the step of applying the SAO may include dividing an intensity section having a high occurrence frequency into bands of a finer intensity unit and applying a band offset.
(3) In the video information encoding method according to (1), the step of applying the SAO may include applying a band offset to an intensity section having a high occurrence frequency, and the step of transmitting information may include transmitting information on a section to which the band offset is applied.
(4) In the video information encoding method according to (1), the step of applying the SAO may include applying an offset to only a band having a high occurrence frequency, and the step of transmitting information may include transmitting information on the applied offset.
(5) In the video information encoding method according to (1), the step of applying the SAO may include selectively applying a plurality of different edge offsets to pixels of one SAO application region.
(6) According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a video information encoding method including the steps of: generating a reconstructed block; applying a deblocking filter to the reconstructed block; applying a sample adaptive offset (SAO) to the reconstructed block to which the deblocking filter has been applied; and transmitting information on the application of the SAO, wherein the step of applying the SAO includes applying the SAO to chroma pixels, and wherein the step of transmitting information includes transmitting at least one of region information, division information of an SAO application region, SAO type information, and SAO offset information along with information on whether to apply the SAO to the chroma pixels.