1 .. SPDX-License-Identifier: GFDL-1.1-no-invariants-or-later
13 VIDIOC_ENUM_FMT - Enumerate image formats
18 .. c:macro:: VIDIOC_ENUM_FMT
20 ``int ioctl(int fd, VIDIOC_ENUM_FMT, struct v4l2_fmtdesc *argp)``
26 File descriptor returned by :c:func:`open()`.
29 Pointer to struct :c:type:`v4l2_fmtdesc`.
34 To enumerate image formats applications initialize the ``type``, ``mbus_code``
35 and ``index`` fields of struct :c:type:`v4l2_fmtdesc` and call
36 the :ref:`VIDIOC_ENUM_FMT` ioctl with a pointer to this structure. Drivers
37 fill the rest of the structure or return an ``EINVAL`` error code. All
38 formats are enumerable by beginning at index zero and incrementing by
39 one until ``EINVAL`` is returned. If applicable, drivers shall return
40 formats in preference order, where preferred formats are returned before
41 (that is, with lower ``index`` value) less-preferred formats.
43 Depending on the ``V4L2_CAP_IO_MC`` :ref:`capability <device-capabilities>`,
44 the ``mbus_code`` field is handled differently:
46 1) ``V4L2_CAP_IO_MC`` is not set (also known as a 'video-node-centric' driver)
48 Applications shall initialize the ``mbus_code`` field to zero and drivers
49 shall ignore the value of the field.
51 Drivers shall enumerate all image formats.
55 After switching the input or output the list of enumerated image
56 formats may be different.
58 2) ``V4L2_CAP_IO_MC`` is set (also known as an 'MC-centric' driver)
60 If the ``mbus_code`` field is zero, then all image formats
63 If the ``mbus_code`` field is initialized to a valid (non-zero)
64 :ref:`media bus format code <v4l2-mbus-pixelcode>`, then drivers
65 shall restrict enumeration to only the image formats that can produce
66 (for video output devices) or be produced from (for video capture
67 devices) that media bus code. If the ``mbus_code`` is unsupported by
68 the driver, then ``EINVAL`` shall be returned.
70 Regardless of the value of the ``mbus_code`` field, the enumerated image
71 formats shall not depend on the active configuration of the video device
74 .. tabularcolumns:: |p{4.4cm}|p{4.4cm}|p{8.7cm}|
76 .. c:type:: v4l2_fmtdesc
78 .. flat-table:: struct v4l2_fmtdesc
85 - Number of the format in the enumeration, set by the application.
86 This is in no way related to the ``pixelformat`` field.
89 - Type of the data stream, set by the application. Only these types
90 are valid here: ``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_CAPTURE``,
91 ``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_CAPTURE_MPLANE``,
92 ``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_OUTPUT``,
93 ``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_OUTPUT_MPLANE``,
94 ``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_OVERLAY``,
95 ``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_SDR_CAPTURE``,
96 ``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_SDR_OUTPUT``,
97 ``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_META_CAPTURE`` and
98 ``V4L2_BUF_TYPE_META_OUTPUT``.
99 See :c:type:`v4l2_buf_type`.
102 - See :ref:`fmtdesc-flags`
104 - ``description``\ [32]
105 - Description of the format, a NUL-terminated ASCII string. This
106 information is intended for the user, for example: "YUV 4:2:2".
109 - The image format identifier. This is a four character code as
110 computed by the v4l2_fourcc() macro:
115 ``#define v4l2_fourcc(a,b,c,d)``
117 ``(((__u32)(a)<<0)|((__u32)(b)<<8)|((__u32)(c)<<16)|((__u32)(d)<<24))``
119 Several image formats are already defined by this specification in
124 These codes are not the same as those used
125 in the Windows world.
128 - Media bus code restricting the enumerated formats, set by the
129 application. Only applicable to drivers that advertise the
130 ``V4L2_CAP_IO_MC`` :ref:`capability <device-capabilities>`, shall be 0
134 - Reserved for future extensions. Drivers must set the array to
138 .. tabularcolumns:: |p{6.6cm}|p{2.2cm}|p{8.7cm}|
142 .. flat-table:: Image Format Description Flags
147 * - ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_COMPRESSED``
149 - This is a compressed format.
150 * - ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_EMULATED``
152 - This format is not native to the device but emulated through
153 software (usually libv4l2), where possible try to use a native
154 format instead for better performance.
155 * - ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_CONTINUOUS_BYTESTREAM``
157 - The hardware decoder for this compressed bytestream format (aka coded
158 format) is capable of parsing a continuous bytestream. Applications do
159 not need to parse the bytestream themselves to find the boundaries
160 between frames/fields.
162 This flag can only be used in combination with the
163 ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_COMPRESSED`` flag, since this applies to compressed
164 formats only. This flag is valid for stateful decoders only.
165 * - ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_DYN_RESOLUTION``
167 - Dynamic resolution switching is supported by the device for this
168 compressed bytestream format (aka coded format). It will notify the user
169 via the event ``V4L2_EVENT_SOURCE_CHANGE`` when changes in the video
170 parameters are detected.
172 This flag can only be used in combination with the
173 ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_COMPRESSED`` flag, since this applies to
174 compressed formats only. This flag is valid for stateful codecs only.
175 * - ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_ENC_CAP_FRAME_INTERVAL``
177 - The hardware encoder supports setting the ``CAPTURE`` coded frame
178 interval separately from the ``OUTPUT`` raw frame interval.
179 Setting the ``OUTPUT`` raw frame interval with :ref:`VIDIOC_S_PARM <VIDIOC_G_PARM>`
180 also sets the ``CAPTURE`` coded frame interval to the same value.
181 If this flag is set, then the ``CAPTURE`` coded frame interval can be
182 set to a different value afterwards. This is typically used for
183 offline encoding where the ``OUTPUT`` raw frame interval is used as
184 a hint for reserving hardware encoder resources and the ``CAPTURE`` coded
185 frame interval is the actual frame rate embedded in the encoded video
188 This flag can only be used in combination with the
189 ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_COMPRESSED`` flag, since this applies to
190 compressed formats only. This flag is valid for stateful encoders only.
191 * - ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_CSC_COLORSPACE``
193 - The driver allows the application to try to change the default
194 colorspace. This flag is relevant only for capture devices.
195 The application can ask to configure the colorspace of the capture device
196 when calling the :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>` ioctl with
197 :ref:`V4L2_PIX_FMT_FLAG_SET_CSC <v4l2-pix-fmt-flag-set-csc>` set.
198 * - ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_CSC_XFER_FUNC``
200 - The driver allows the application to try to change the default
201 transfer function. This flag is relevant only for capture devices.
202 The application can ask to configure the transfer function of the capture
203 device when calling the :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>` ioctl with
204 :ref:`V4L2_PIX_FMT_FLAG_SET_CSC <v4l2-pix-fmt-flag-set-csc>` set.
205 * - ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_CSC_YCBCR_ENC``
207 - The driver allows the application to try to change the default
208 Y'CbCr encoding. This flag is relevant only for capture devices.
209 The application can ask to configure the Y'CbCr encoding of the capture device
210 when calling the :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>` ioctl with
211 :ref:`V4L2_PIX_FMT_FLAG_SET_CSC <v4l2-pix-fmt-flag-set-csc>` set.
212 * - ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_CSC_HSV_ENC``
214 - The driver allows the application to try to change the default
215 HSV encoding. This flag is relevant only for capture devices.
216 The application can ask to configure the HSV encoding of the capture device
217 when calling the :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>` ioctl with
218 :ref:`V4L2_PIX_FMT_FLAG_SET_CSC <v4l2-pix-fmt-flag-set-csc>` set.
219 * - ``V4L2_FMT_FLAG_CSC_QUANTIZATION``
221 - The driver allows the application to try to change the default
222 quantization. This flag is relevant only for capture devices.
223 The application can ask to configure the quantization of the capture
224 device when calling the :ref:`VIDIOC_S_FMT <VIDIOC_G_FMT>` ioctl with
225 :ref:`V4L2_PIX_FMT_FLAG_SET_CSC <v4l2-pix-fmt-flag-set-csc>` set.
230 On success 0 is returned, on error -1 and the ``errno`` variable is set
231 appropriately. The generic error codes are described at the
232 :ref:`Generic Error Codes <gen-errors>` chapter.
235 The struct :c:type:`v4l2_fmtdesc` ``type`` is not
236 supported or the ``index`` is out of bounds.
238 If ``V4L2_CAP_IO_MC`` is set and the specified ``mbus_code``
239 is unsupported, then also return this error code.