Video for Linux Two API Specification: Revision 0.24
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# V4L2_PIX_FMT_YVU420 ('YV12'), V4L2_PIX_FMT_YUV420 ('YU12')

## Name

`V4L2_PIX_FMT_YVU420`, `V4L2_PIX_FMT_YUV420` -- Planar formats with ½ horizontal and vertical chroma resolution, also known as YUV 4:2:0

## Description

These are planar formats, as opposed to a packed format. The three components are separated into three sub- images or planes. The Y plane is first. The Y plane has one byte per pixel. For `V4L2_PIX_FMT_YVU420`, the Cr plane immediately follows the Y plane in memory. The Cr plane is half the width and half the height of the Y plane (and of the image). Each Cr belongs to four pixels, a two-by-two square of the image. For example, Cr0 belongs to Y'00, Y'01, Y'10, and Y'11. Following the Cr plane is the Cb plane, just like the Cr plane. `V4L2_PIX_FMT_YUV420` is the same except the Cb plane comes first, then the Cr plane.

If the Y plane has pad bytes after each row, then the Cr and Cb planes have half as many pad bytes after their rows. In other words, two Cx rows (including padding) is exactly as long as one Y row (including padding).

Example 2-1. `V4L2_PIX_FMT_YVU420` 4 × 4 pixel image

Byte Order. Each cell is one byte.

start + 0: | Y'00 | Y'01 | Y'02 | Y'03
start + 4: | Y'10 | Y'11 | Y'12 | Y'13
start + 8: | Y'20 | Y'21 | Y'22 | Y'23
start + 12: | Y'30 | Y'31 | Y'32 | Y'33
start + 16: | Cr00 | Cr01 |  |
start + 18: | Cr10 | Cr11 |  |
start + 20: | Cb00 | Cb01 |  |
start + 22: | Cb10 | Cb11 |  |

Color Sample Location.

| 0 |  | 1 |  | 2 |  | 3
0 | Y |  | Y |  | Y |  | Y
|  | C |  |  |  | C |
1 | Y |  | Y |  | Y |  | Y
2 | Y |  | Y |  | Y |  | Y
|  | C |  |  |  | C |
3 | Y |  | Y |  | Y |  | Y

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