STRUCT V4L2_CTRL_HEVC_SPS(9)

💖 struct v4l2_ctrl_hevc_sps(9) 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the Linux Kernel API Manual ✨ — this one's from struct v4l2_ctrl_hevc_sps(9), and it's about to be your new obsession if you're doing HEVC/H.265 stuff. no cap.

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🌸 NAME 🌸

struct v4l2_ctrl_hevc_sps — ITU-T Rec. H.265: Sequence parameter set. literally the SPS. the blueprint. the main character of your decode pipeline 🎀

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

struct v4l2_ctrl_hevc_sps {
    __u8 video_parameter_set_id;
    __u8 seq_parameter_set_id;
    __u16 pic_width_in_luma_samples;
    __u16 pic_height_in_luma_samples;
    __u8 bit_depth_luma_minus8;
    __u8 bit_depth_chroma_minus8;
    __u8 log2_max_pic_order_cnt_lsb_minus4;
    __u8 sps_max_dec_pic_buffering_minus1;
    __u8 sps_max_num_reorder_pics;
    __u8 sps_max_latency_increase_plus1;
    __u8 log2_min_luma_coding_block_size_minus3;
    __u8 log2_diff_max_min_luma_coding_block_size;
    __u8 log2_min_luma_transform_block_size_minus2;
    __u8 log2_diff_max_min_luma_transform_block_size;
    __u8 max_transform_hierarchy_depth_inter;
    __u8 max_transform_hierarchy_depth_intra;
    __u8 pcm_sample_bit_depth_luma_minus1;
    __u8 pcm_sample_bit_depth_chroma_minus1;
    __u8 log2_min_pcm_luma_coding_block_size_minus3;
    __u8 log2_diff_max_min_pcm_luma_coding_block_size;
    __u8 num_short_term_ref_pic_sets;
    __u8 num_long_term_ref_pics_sps;
    __u8 chroma_format_idc;
    __u8 sps_max_sub_layers_minus1;
    __u8 reserved[6];
    __u64 flags;
};

look at all those fields, it's giving structured-data couture 💅

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🦋 MEMBERS 🦋

okay so here's the field-by-field breakdown, no skipping, we're doing all of them:

• video_parameter_set_id — specifies the value of the vps_video_parameter_set_id of the active VPS. yes, it points at the VPS, bestie 🫶
• seq_parameter_set_id — provides an identifier for the SPS so other syntax elements can reference it. it's the SPS's little name tag 🏷️
• pic_width_in_luma_samples — specifies the width of each decoded picture, measured in units of luma samples ✨
• pic_height_in_luma_samples — specifies the height of each decoded picture, also in units of luma samples. width's partner in crime 💜
• bit_depth_luma_minus8 — this value plus 8 specifies the bit depth of the samples of the luma array. the "minus8" is doing so much heavy lifting here 😭
• bit_depth_chroma_minus8 — this value plus 8 specifies the bit depth of the samples of the chroma arrays. same energy, chroma edition 🌈
• log2_max_pic_order_cnt_lsb_minus4 — this value plus 4 specifies the value of the variable MaxPicOrderCntLsb. iconic variable name ngl
• sps_max_dec_pic_buffering_minus1 — this value plus 1 specifies the maximum required size of the decoded picture buffer for the codec video sequence. buffer budgeting, we love to see it 💖
• sps_max_num_reorder_pics — indicates the maximum allowed number of pictures. that's it, that's the field 🎀
• sps_max_latency_increase_plus1 — when it's not equal to 0, it's used to compute the value of the SpsMaxLatencyPictures array. zero means it's sitting this one out 🦋
• log2_min_luma_coding_block_size_minus3 — plus 3 specifies the minimum luma coding block size. block size, minimized, slay 🔥
• log2_diff_max_min_luma_coding_block_size — specifies the difference between the maximum and the minimum luma coding block size. it's literally just the gap between them 💅
• log2_min_luma_transform_block_size_minus2 — plus 2 specifies the minimum luma transform block size. yes, minus 2 this time, not minus 3, stay focused 👑
• log2_diff_max_min_luma_transform_block_size — specifies the difference between the maximum and the minimum luma transform block size. diff-but-make-it-transform 🌸
• max_transform_hierarchy_depth_inter — specifies the maximum hierarchy depth for transform units of coding units coded in inter prediction mode. big depth energy 🧚
• max_transform_hierarchy_depth_intra — specifies the maximum hierarchy depth for transform units of coding units coded in intra prediction mode. the intra twin, equally iconic 💜
• pcm_sample_bit_depth_luma_minus1 — this value plus 1 specifies the number of bits used to represent each of the PCM sample values of the luma component. PCM besties rise 🍓
• pcm_sample_bit_depth_chroma_minus1 — this value plus 1 specifies the number of bits used to represent each of the PCM sample values of the chroma components 🎀
• log2_min_pcm_luma_coding_block_size_minus3 — this value plus 3 specifies the minimum size of coding blocks. (still the PCM corner of the struct, iykyk) ✨
• log2_diff_max_min_pcm_luma_coding_block_size — specifies the difference between the maximum and the minimum size of coding blocks 🦋
• num_short_term_ref_pic_sets — specifies the number of st_ref_pic_set syntax structures included in the SPS. count 'em 🌟
• num_long_term_ref_pics_sps — specifies the number of candidate long-term reference pictures that are specified in the SPS. long-term commitment, we respect it 💖
• chroma_format_idc — specifies the chroma sampling 🌈
• sps_max_sub_layers_minus1 — this value plus 1 specifies the maximum number of temporal sub-layers. layers on layers on layers 🧚‍♀️
• reserved — padding field. Should be zeroed by applications. like, actually zero it, bestie, don't leave it messy 🙈
• flags — see V4L2_HEVC_SPS_FLAG_{} 👑

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

Kernel file ./include/uapi/linux/v4l2-controls.h — and the whole extended universe of friends, in order:

• enum v4l2_mpeg_video_av1_profile(9)
• enum v4l2_mpeg_video_av1_level(9)
• enum v4l2_stateless_h264_decode_mode(9)
• enum v4l2_stateless_h264_start_code(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_h264_sps(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_h264_pps(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_h264_scaling_matrix(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_h264_pred_weights(9)
• struct v4l2_h264_reference(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_h264_slice_params(9)
• struct v4l2_h264_dpb_entry(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_h264_decode_params(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_fwht_params(9)
• struct v4l2_vp8_segment(9)
• struct v4l2_vp8_loop_filter(9)
• struct v4l2_vp8_quantization(9)
• struct v4l2_vp8_entropy(9)
• struct v4l2_vp8_entropy_coder_state(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_vp8_frame(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_mpeg2_sequence(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_mpeg2_picture(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_mpeg2_quantisation(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_hevc_pps(9)
• struct v4l2_hevc_dpb_entry(9)
• struct v4l2_hevc_pred_weight_table(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_hevc_slice_params(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_hevc_decode_params(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_hevc_scaling_matrix(9)
• struct v4l2_vp9_loop_filter(9)
• struct v4l2_vp9_quantization(9)
• struct v4l2_vp9_segmentation(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_vp9_frame(9)
• struct v4l2_vp9_mv_probs(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_vp9_compressed_hdr(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_av1_sequence(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_av1_tile_group_entry(9)
• enum v4l2_av1_warp_model(9)
• enum v4l2_av1_reference_frame(9)
• struct v4l2_av1_global_motion(9)
• enum v4l2_av1_frame_restoration_type(9)
• struct v4l2_av1_loop_restoration(9)
• struct v4l2_av1_cdef(9)
• enum v4l2_av1_segment_feature(9)
• struct v4l2_av1_segmentation(9)
• struct v4l2_av1_loop_filter(9)
• struct v4l2_av1_quantization(9)
• struct v4l2_av1_tile_info(9)
• enum v4l2_av1_frame_type(9)
• enum v4l2_av1_interpolation_filter(9)
• enum v4l2_av1_tx_mode(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_av1_frame(9)
• struct v4l2_ctrl_av1_film_grain(9)

like, the whole codec friend group showed up 💀💖

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and that's the whole page bestie!! every field, every flag, every reference, all present and accounted for. go forth and parse your sequence parameter sets, you gorgeous nerd 🫶💅

and finally, the cute sign-off: this masterpiece lives at ./include/uapi/linux, dated October 2026, and it's page struct v4l2_ctrl_hevc_sps(9) — catch you in the group chat 🌸✨🎀