Abstract: A fast video encoder (100) and method (500) for selecting (809) Inter macro-block mode or intra macro-block mode is provided. The method can include estimating (502) a rate-distortion cost (801) of a plurality of predictors (203) for coding a video (201), selecting (504) a predictive coding mode for the video based on a minimization of the rate-distortion cost, and coding (505) the image using a predictive mode associated with the minimum rate-distortion cost. The rate-distortion cost can be estimated across Intra macro-block modes and Inter macro-block modes for reducing a computational complexity. Rate-Distortion costs can be terminated early (524) based on statistical information (522) across a plurality of predictors for increasing an encoding speed. A fast estimation of the rate-distortion cost associated with the Intra macro-block mode for making inter/intra macro-block mode decision in a video coding system by exploiting the coding statistics across prediction modes is presented.