Michael
Schimek
H

    	    mschimek@gmx.at

Bill
Dirks
Original author of the V4L2 API and documentation.
Hans
Verkuil
Designed and documented the VIDIOC_LOG_STATUS ioctl, the extended control ioctls and major parts of the sliced VBI API.

    	    hverkuil@xs4all.nl

Martin
Rubli
Designed and documented the VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMESIZES and VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMEINTERVALS ioctls.
Andy
Walls
Documented the fielded V4L2_MPEG_STREAM_VBI_FMT_IVTV MPEG stream embedded, sliced VBI data format in this specification.

    	    awalls@md.metrocast.net

Mauro
Carvalho Chehab
Documented libv4l, designed and added v4l2grab example, Remote Controller chapter.

    	    mchehab@redhat.com

Muralidharan
Karicheri
Documented the Digital Video timings API.

    	    m-karicheri2@ti.com

Pawel
Osciak
Designed and documented the multi-planar API.

    	    pawel AT osciak.com

1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Bill Dirks, Michael H. Schimek, Hans Verkuil, Martin Rubli, Andy Walls, Muralidharan Karicheri, Mauro Carvalho Chehab, Pawel Osciak

Except when explicitly stated as GPL, programming examples within this part can be used and distributed without restrictions.

3.1
2011-06-27
mcc, po, hv
Documented that VIDIOC_QUERYCAP now returns a per-subsystem version instead of a per-driver one. Standardize an error code for invalid ioctl. Added V4L2_CTRL_TYPE_BITMASK.
2.6.39
2011-03-01
mcc, po
Removed VIDIOC_*_OLD from videodev2.h header and update it to reflect latest changes. Added the multi-planar API.
2.6.37
2010-08-06
hv
Removed obsolete vtx (videotext) API.
2.6.33
2009-12-03
mk
Added documentation for the Digital Video timings API.
2.6.32
2009-08-31
mcc
Now, revisions will match the kernel version where the V4L2 API changes will be used by the Linux Kernel. Also added Remote Controller chapter.
0.29
2009-08-26
ev
Added documentation for string controls and for FM Transmitter controls.
0.28
2009-08-26
gl
Added V4L2_CID_BAND_STOP_FILTER documentation.
0.27
2009-08-15
mcc
Added libv4l and Remote Controller documentation; added v4l2grab and keytable application examples.
0.26
2009-07-23
hv
Finalized the RDS capture API. Added modulator and RDS encoder capabilities. Added support for string controls.
0.25
2009-01-18
hv
Added pixel formats VYUY, NV16 and NV61, and changed the debug ioctls VIDIOC_DBG_G/S_REGISTER and VIDIOC_DBG_G_CHIP_IDENT. Added camera controls V4L2_CID_ZOOM_ABSOLUTE, V4L2_CID_ZOOM_RELATIVE, V4L2_CID_ZOOM_CONTINUOUS and V4L2_CID_PRIVACY.
0.24
2008-03-04
mhs
Added pixel formats Y16 and SBGGR16, new controls and a camera controls class. Removed VIDIOC_G/S_MPEGCOMP.
0.23
2007-08-30
mhs
Fixed a typo in VIDIOC_DBG_G/S_REGISTER. Clarified the byte order of packed pixel formats.
0.22
2007-08-29
mhs
Added the Video Output Overlay interface, new MPEG controls, V4L2_FIELD_INTERLACED_TB and V4L2_FIELD_INTERLACED_BT, VIDIOC_DBG_G/S_REGISTER, VIDIOC_(TRY_)ENCODER_CMD, VIDIOC_G_CHIP_IDENT, VIDIOC_G_ENC_INDEX, new pixel formats. Clarifications in the cropping chapter, about RGB pixel formats, the mmap(), poll(), select(), read() and write() functions. Typographical fixes.
0.21
2006-12-19
mhs
Fixed a link in the VIDIOC_G_EXT_CTRLS section.
0.20
2006-11-24
mhs
Clarified the purpose of the audioset field in struct v4l2_input and v4l2_output.
0.19
2006-10-19
mhs
Documented V4L2_PIX_FMT_RGB444.
0.18
2006-10-18
mhs
Added the description of extended controls by Hans Verkuil. Linked V4L2_PIX_FMT_MPEG to V4L2_CID_MPEG_STREAM_TYPE.
0.17
2006-10-12
mhs
Corrected V4L2_PIX_FMT_HM12 description.
0.16
2006-10-08
mhs
VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMESIZES and VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMEINTERVALS are now part of the API.
0.15
2006-09-23
mhs
Cleaned up the bibliography, added BT.653 and BT.1119. capture.c/start_capturing() for user pointer I/O did not initialize the buffer index. Documented the V4L MPEG and MJPEG VID_TYPEs and V4L2_PIX_FMT_SBGGR8. Updated the list of reserved pixel formats. See the history chapter for API changes.
0.14
2006-09-14
mr
Added VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMESIZES and VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMEINTERVALS proposal for frame format enumeration of digital devices.
0.13
2006-04-07
mhs
Corrected the description of struct v4l2_window clips. New V4L2_STD_ and V4L2_TUNER_MODE_LANG1_LANG2 defines.
0.12
2006-02-03
mhs
Corrected the description of struct v4l2_captureparm and v4l2_outputparm.
0.11
2006-01-27
mhs
Improved the description of struct v4l2_tuner.
0.10
2006-01-10
mhs
VIDIOC_G_INPUT and VIDIOC_S_PARM clarifications.
0.9
2005-11-27
mhs
Improved the 525 line numbering diagram. Hans Verkuil and I rewrote the sliced VBI section. He also contributed a VIDIOC_LOG_STATUS page. Fixed VIDIOC_S_STD call in the video standard selection example. Various updates.
0.8
2004-10-04
mhs
Somehow a piece of junk slipped into the capture example, removed.
0.7
2004-09-19
mhs
Fixed video standard selection, control enumeration, downscaling and aspect example. Added read and user pointer i/o to video capture example.
0.6
2004-08-01
mhs
v4l2_buffer changes, added video capture example, various corrections.
0.5
2003-11-05
mhs
Pixel format erratum.
0.4
2003-09-17
mhs
Corrected source and Makefile to generate a PDF. SGML fixes. Added latest API changes. Closed gaps in the history chapter.
0.3
2003-02-05
mhs
Another draft, more corrections.
0.2
2003-01-15
mhs
Second draft, with corrections pointed out by Gerd Knorr.
0.1
2002-12-01
mhs
First draft, based on documentation by Bill Dirks and discussions on the V4L mailing list.

# Video for Linux Two API Specification

Revision 3.1
&sub-common;
&sub-pixfmt;
&sub-io;

# Interfaces

&sub-dev-capture;
&sub-dev-overlay;
&sub-dev-output;
&sub-dev-osd;
&sub-dev-codec;
&sub-dev-effect;
&sub-dev-raw-vbi;
&sub-dev-sliced-vbi;
&sub-dev-teletext;
&sub-dev-radio;
&sub-dev-rds;
&sub-dev-event;
&sub-dev-subdev;
&sub-driver;
&sub-libv4l;
&sub-compat;

# Function Reference

&sub-close; &sub-ioctl; &sub-cropcap; &sub-dbg-g-chip-ident; &sub-dbg-g-register; &sub-dqevent; &sub-encoder-cmd; &sub-enumaudio; &sub-enumaudioout; &sub-enum-dv-presets; &sub-enum-fmt; &sub-enum-framesizes; &sub-enum-frameintervals; &sub-enuminput; &sub-enumoutput; &sub-enumstd; &sub-g-audio; &sub-g-audioout; &sub-g-crop; &sub-g-ctrl; &sub-g-dv-preset; &sub-g-dv-timings; &sub-g-enc-index; &sub-g-ext-ctrls; &sub-g-fbuf; &sub-g-fmt; &sub-g-frequency; &sub-g-input; &sub-g-jpegcomp; &sub-g-modulator; &sub-g-output; &sub-g-parm; &sub-g-priority; &sub-g-sliced-vbi-cap; &sub-g-std; &sub-g-tuner; &sub-log-status; &sub-overlay; &sub-qbuf; &sub-querybuf; &sub-querycap; &sub-queryctrl; &sub-query-dv-preset; &sub-querystd; &sub-reqbufs; &sub-s-hw-freq-seek; &sub-streamon; &sub-subdev-enum-frame-interval; &sub-subdev-enum-frame-size; &sub-subdev-enum-mbus-code; &sub-subdev-g-crop; &sub-subdev-g-fmt; &sub-subdev-g-frame-interval; &sub-subscribe-event; &sub-mmap; &sub-munmap; &sub-open; &sub-poll; &sub-read; &sub-select; &sub-write;

# Video For Linux Two Header File

&sub-videodev2-h;

# Video Capture Example

&sub-capture-c;

# Video Grabber example using libv4l

This program demonstrates how to grab V4L2 images in ppm format by using libv4l handlers. The advantage is that this grabber can potentially work with any V4L2 driver.

&sub-v4l2grab-c;

&sub-media-indices;

&sub-biblio;