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QuickTime Supported YUV Pixel Formats

Q: Which YUV pixel formats are supported by QuickTime? I'm trying to use planar YUV (the kYVU9PixelFormat) from inside my codec but it doesn't appear to work. I have no problems asking for kYUVSPixelFormat or kYUVUPixelFormat.

A: While ImageCompression.h defines a long list of YUV pixel formats, QuickTime does not implement all of these. In actuality, the available transfer codecs will vary from configuration to configuration, since some of these are implemented by video hardware manufacturers.

If you plan to implement any YUV 4:2:2 pixel formats, you should make sure '2vuy' (k2vuyPixelFormat) is one of them, as this is the 'preferred' YUV 4:2:2 format.

Transfer codecs for 'yuvs' (kYUVSPixelFormat) and 'yuvu' (kYVYU422PixelFormat) are also common on the Macintosh.

The layout of the pixel formats listed in ImageCompression.h are available in Ice Floe dispatch #20 - QuickTime Pixel Format FourCCs.

http://developer.apple.com/quicktime/icefloe/dispatch020.html

[Jul 19 2001]


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