2. Image Formats

The V4L2 API was primarily designed for devices exchanging image data with applications. The struct v4l2_pix_format and struct v4l2_pix_format_mplane structures define the format and layout of an image in memory. The former is used with the single-planar API, while the latter is used with the multi-planar version (see Single- and multi-planar APIs). Image formats are negotiated with the VIDIOC_S_FMT ioctl. (The explanations here focus on video capturing and output, for overlay frame buffer formats see also VIDIOC_G_FBUF.)

• 2.1. Single-planar format structure
• 2.2. Multi-planar format structures
• 2.3. Standard Image Formats
• 2.4. Colorspaces
• 2.5. Defining Colorspaces in V4L2
• 2.6. Detailed Colorspace Descriptions
• 2.7. Detailed Transfer Function Descriptions
• 2.8. Indexed Format
• 2.9. RGB Formats
• 2.10. YUV Formats
• 2.11. Depth Formats
• 2.12. Compressed Formats
• 2.13. SDR Formats
• 2.14. Reserved Format Identifiers