Method for identifying video pixel data format in a mixed format data stream

A method for identifying the format of video pixel data in a data stream, the data stream comprising video pixel data having at least a first pixel data format and a second pixel data format, the second pixel data format being a YUV format, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) receiving pixel data;
• b) selecting an output channel in response to at least one particular value of at least one bit of each said received pixel datum wherein the particular value identifies the data format as one of the first pixel data format and the YUV format;
• and
• c) providing said pixel data to said selected output channel, the first pixel data format being a 16 bpp video pixel CLUT8 format and the YUV format being a 16 bpp video pixel 4:2:2 YUV format, and
• wherein at least one particular value of the eight most significant bits of each video pixel datum identifies the data format as one of the group comprising 4:2:2 YUV and CLUT8.

A method for identifying the format of video pixel data in a data stream, the data stream comprising video pixel data having at least a first pixel data format and a second pixel data format, the second pixel data format being a YUV format, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) receiving pixel data;
• b) selecting an output channel in response to at least one particular value of at least one bit of each said received pixel datum wherein the particular value identifies the data format as one of the first pixel data format and the YUV format;
• and
• c) providing said pixel data to said selected output channel, wherein the first pixel format is a 16 bpp pixel data format selected from the group consisting of modified 444.sub.-- RGB format and modified CLUT12 format, and the YUV format is a 16 bpp video pixel 4:2:2 YUV format, and wherein at least one particular value of the four most significant bits of each video pixel datum identifies the data format as the first pixel format or the YUV format.

A circuit in a video graphics device comprising:

• a) a means for receiving pixel data from a data stream, the data stream comprising video pixel data having at least a first pixel data format and a second pixel data format, the second pixel data format being a YUV format;
• b) a means for selecting an output channel in response to at least one particular value of at least one bit of each said received pixel datum wherein the particular value identifies the data format as one of the first pixel data format and the YUV format;
• and
• c) a means for providing said pixel data to said selected output channel, the first pixel data format being a 16 bpp video pixel CLUT8 format and the YUV format being a 16 bpp video pixel 4:2:2 YUV format, and wherein at least one particular value of the eight most significant bits of each video pixel datum identifies the data format as one of the group comprising 4:2:2 YUV and CLUT8.

A computer system having a video graphics device circuit comprising:

• a) a means for receiving pixel data from a data stream, the data stream comprising video pixel data having at least a first pixel data format and a second pixel data format, the second pixel data format being a YUV format;
• b) a means for selecting an output channel in response to at least one particular value of at least one bit of each said received pixel datum wherein the particular value identifies the data format as one of the first pixel data format and the YUV format;
• and
• c) a means for providing said pixel data to said selected output channel, the first pixel data format being a 16 bpp video pixel CLUT8 format and the YUV format being a 16 bpp video pixel 4:2:2 YUV format, and wherein at least one particular value of the eight most significant bits of each video pixel datum identifies the data format as one of the group comprising 4:2:2 YUV and CLUT8.