Re: V4L2_PIX_FMT_RAW

[Thomas Kaiser <linux-dvb@kaiser-linux.li>]

H. Willstrand wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 1:00 PM, Thomas Kaiser
> <linux-dvb@kaiser-linux.li> wrote:
>> H. Willstrand wrote:
>>  > On Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 2:20 AM, Daniel Glöckner <daniel-gl@gmx.net> wrote:
>>  >> On Thu, Feb 21, 2008 at 01:02:39AM +0100, H. Willstrand wrote:
>>  >>  > What's the problem with having a name of the formalized data in the
>>  >>  > video stream? ie raw do not mean undefined.
>>  >>
>>  >>  I thought you wanted to avoid having to define V4L2_PIX_FMT_x for an
>>  >>  exploding number of proprietary formats that are quite similar but still
>>  >>  incompatible. It makes sense for formats that are used by more than one
>>  >>  driver.
>>  >
>>  > Correct, the number of unique pixel formats should be kept down.
>>  > Again, comparing with digital cameras there are >200 proprietary
>>  > formats and there is a "clean-up" on-going where the "market" is
>>  > aiming for a OpenRAW.
>>  >
>>  > However, by declaring a generic RAW format (which is then driver
>>  > specific) doesn't help the user mode app developers. Calling a
>>  > multitude of libraries to see if you get lucky might not be a good
>>  > idea.
>>  >
>>  > Still, I'm suspectious about the definition "raw" used here.
>>  > RAW should mean unprocessed image data:
>>  > * no white balance adjustment
>>  > * no color saturation adjustments
>>  > * no contrast adjustments
>>  > * no sharpness improvements
>>  > * no compression with loss
>>
>>  Yes, raw means "as it is" no stripping, decoding  or removing of SOF headers are
>>  done in the driver. May be V4L2_PIX_FMT_AII (AII -> As It Is) is the better name?
>>
> 
> I struggle with the probability to find several CCD's having similar
> formats. There aren't so many manifactors of CCD's but they truelly
> can generate divergeting formats. Worst case scenario means >200
> V4L2_PIX_FMT_RAW_...
> 
> I think RAW is a OK name, the question is if the subcomponents of the
> RAW formats has similarities, if so they might be standardized.
> Looking into different Sony CCD's it's clearly possible, but after the
> CCD the data has to be buffered, packaged and transmitted which of
> course can be done in several ways...
> 
> Cheers,
> Harri
> 
>>  >
>>  > So, by looking for similarities in the "raw" formats where available
>>  > there should be a potential to consolidate them.
>>  >
>>  >>
>>  >>  > I don't see how separate RAW ioctl's will add value to the V4l2 API,
>>  >>  > it fits into the current API.
>>  >>
>>  >>  Yes, it does. Each driver having multiple raw formats just needs a
>>  >>  private control id to select one.
>>  >>
>>  > I was more thinking about the VIDIOC_S_RAW stuff, a VIDIOC_S_FMT
>>  > should do the job.
>>  > I.e. I think there should be strong reasons to break V4L2 API behavior.
>>  >
>>  > Harri

Actually, in a webcam you have the image sensor and a usb bridge. Usually, the 
sensor capture a picture in Bayer pattern. This gets forwarded to the usb 
bridge. The usb bridge may or may not transfer the picture to an other format 
and/or compress it with a standard compression algo or a proprietary compression 
algo. The resulting data stream will be transmitted over the usb interface.

I just would like to get this resulting stream to user space without 
manipulation/conversion/decoding of the stream in the kernel module.

That means we don't know what the format is in this data which comes trough the 
usb interface. That's way I call it raw.

At the moment with V4L2, I have to forward a stream to user space which is in a 
format v4l2 knows. That means I have sometimes to do heavy data processing in 
the kernel module to decode/convert the data from the usb stream to a known v4l2 
video format.

That's way I want a official way to forward the untouched usb stream to user space!

How the user space application has to react on this stream is an other story, I 
think. But there will be some way to tell the usespace application what to do 
with this "unknown" stream, I am sure.

Thomas


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