A method and apparatus for performing sparse coding dictionary priming are disclosed. Sparse coding dictionary priming may include iteratively training a coding dictionary, which may include a plurality of codewords or bases. Iteratively training the coding dictionary may include identifying a sampling index cardinality, identifying a portion of a video stream, decomposing the portion of the video stream, and updating the codeword based on the portion of the video stream. Decomposing the portion of the video stream may include randomly identifying a set of codewords from the plurality of codewords wherein a cardinality of the set of codewords is the sampling index cardinality and wherein the sampling index cardinality is less a cardinality of the plurality of codewords, and determining a codeword having a maximum correlation with the portion of the video stream from the set of codewords.