Abstract: Apparatus and methods for identifying one or more separate objects within depth information which corresponds to a fleid or a frame of video information are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, an appratus includes an object map generation circuit for receiving depth information and for converting depth information into an object map to associate each pixel within the frame of video information with one of one or more regions of varying perceptual importance is disclosed. This preferred apparatus also includes a region masking circuit for masking the object map to generate one or more depth region masks indicative of pixels within the frame which substantially correspond to preselected regions of depth, and a video object selection circuit for identifying one or more separate objects within each of the one or more preselected regions indicated by each of the one or more region masks, such that each object associated with each depth region is identified as a separate object.