STRUCT V4L2_PIX_FORMAT_MPLANE(9)

🌸 struct v4l2_pix_format_mplane(9) 🌸

okay so bestie, we're in the Kernel API Manual today and this is literally the page for struct v4l2_pix_format_mplane — the multiplanar format definition. she's giving pixel-format royalty, no cap 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

struct v4l2_pix_format_mplane — multiplanar format definition 🎀

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

struct v4l2_pix_format_mplane {
    __u32 width;
    __u32 height;
    __u32 pixelformat;
    __u32 field;
    __u32 colorspace;
    struct v4l2_plane_pix_format    plane_fmt[VIDEO_MAX_PLANES];
    __u8 num_planes;
    __u8 flags;
    union {
      __u8 ycbcr_enc;
      __u8 hsv_enc;
    };
    __u8 quantization;
    __u8 xfer_func;
    __u8 reserved[7];
 };

like, look at her. so organized. so structured. main character energy fr fr ✨

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💖 Members 💖

• width — image width in pixels 📏
• height — image height in pixels 📐
• pixelformat — little endian four character code (fourcc) 🔤 — yes bestie, fourcc, four characters, it's exactly what it sounds like
• field — enum v4l2_field; the field order (this one's for interlaced video, iykyk) 🎞️
• colorspace — enum v4l2_colorspace; supplemental to pixelformat 🌈 — think of it as the supporting actress, not the lead
• plane_fmt — per-plane information 🗂️ — every plane gets her own little moment
• num_planes — number of planes for this format 🔢
• flags — format flags (V4L2_PIX_FMT_FLAG_*) 🚩
• {unnamed_union} — anonymous 👻 — she has no name and she doesn't need one
• ycbcr_enc — enum v4l2_ycbcr_encoding, Y'CbCr encoding 🎨
• hsv_enc — enum v4l2_hsv_encoding, HSV encoding 🎨 — same union energy as ycbcr_enc, pick your fighter
• quantization — enum v4l2_quantization, colorspace quantization 🧮
• xfer_func — enum v4l2_xfer_func, colorspace transfer function 🌀
• reserved — drivers and applications must zero this array ⚠️ — not "should", not "maybe", must. zero her out, bestie, that's the whole vibe check 🙈

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

Kernel file ./include/uapi/linux/videodev2.h

• struct v4l2_capability(9)
• struct v4l2_plane(9)
• struct v4l2_buffer(9)
• v4l2_timeval_to_ns(9)
• struct v4l2_exportbuffer(9)
• struct v4l2_selection(9)
• struct v4l2_plane_pix_format(9)
• struct v4l2_sdr_format(9)
• struct v4l2_meta_format(9)
• struct v4l2_format(9)
• struct v4l2_event_motion_det(9)
• struct v4l2_create_buffers(9)
• struct v4l2_remove_buffers(9)

like, that's the whole friend group right there. go say hi 🫶

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ngl the one thing to actually remember: reserved has to be zeroed by both drivers and applications. that's not a suggestion, that's the rule 💀

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⭐ that's the page!! brought to you by ./include/uapi/linux, dated October 2026, and yes the footer still says struct v4l2...ormat_mplane(9) because the kernel is dramatic and truncates her name for the header. slay, honestly 👑💜