---
title: CVPixelBuffer
framework: corevideo
role: collectionGroup
role_heading: API Collection
path: corevideo/cvpixelbuffer-q2e
---

# CVPixelBuffer

An image buffer that holds pixels in main memory.

## Overview

Overview A Core Video pixel buffer is an image buffer that holds pixels in main memory. Applications generating frames, compressing or decompressing video, or using Core Image can all make use of Core Video pixel buffers.

## Topics

### Creating pixel buffers

- [CVPixelBufferCreate(_:_:_:_:_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffercreate(_:_:_:_:_:_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferCreateWithBytes(_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffercreatewithbytes(_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferCreateWithPlanarBytes(_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffercreatewithplanarbytes(_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferCreateWithIOSurface(_:_:_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffercreatewithiosurface(_:_:_:_:).md)

### Inspecting Pixel Buffers

- [CVPixelBufferGetBaseAddress(_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetbaseaddress(_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetBaseAddressOfPlane(_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetbaseaddressofplane(_:_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetBytesPerRow(_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetbytesperrow(_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetBytesPerRowOfPlane(_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetbytesperrowofplane(_:_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetHeight(_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetheight(_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetHeightOfPlane(_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetheightofplane(_:_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetWidth(_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetwidth(_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetWidthOfPlane(_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetwidthofplane(_:_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferIsPlanar(_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbufferisplanar(_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetPlaneCount(_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetplanecount(_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetDataSize(_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetdatasize(_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetPixelFormatType(_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetpixelformattype(_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetExtendedPixels(_:_:_:_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetextendedpixels(_:_:_:_:_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetIOSurface(_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergetiosurface(_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferCreateResolvedAttributesDictionary(_:_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbuffercreateresolvedattributesdictionary(_:_:_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferIsCompatibleWithAttributes(_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbufferiscompatiblewithattributes(_:_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferGetTypeID()](corevideo/cvpixelbuffergettypeid().md)

### Modifying Pixel Buffers

- [CVPixelBufferFillExtendedPixels(_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbufferfillextendedpixels(_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferLockBaseAddress(_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbufferlockbaseaddress(_:_:).md)
- [CVPixelBufferUnlockBaseAddress(_:_:)](corevideo/cvpixelbufferunlockbaseaddress(_:_:).md)

### Protocols

- [CVPixelBufferRepresentable](corevideo/cvpixelbufferrepresentable.md)
- [CVPixelBufferAttachmentKeyDefinitions](corevideo/cvpixelbufferattachmentkeydefinitions.md)

### Swift overlay types

- [CVReadOnlyPixelBuffer](corevideo/cvreadonlypixelbuffer.md)
- [CVMutablePixelBuffer](corevideo/cvmutablepixelbuffer.md)
- [CVPixelBufferAttributes](corevideo/cvpixelbufferattributes.md)
- [CVPixelBufferCreationAttributes](corevideo/cvpixelbuffercreationattributes.md)
- [CVPixelBufferPadding](corevideo/cvpixelbufferpadding.md)
- [CVPixelBufferPlaneProperties](corevideo/cvpixelbufferplaneproperties.md)
- [CVProResRawMetadata](corevideo/cvproresrawmetadata.md)

### Data Types

- [CVPixelBuffer](corevideo/cvpixelbuffer.md)
- [CVPixelBufferLockFlags](corevideo/cvpixelbufferlockflags.md)
- [CVPlanarComponentInfo](corevideo/cvplanarcomponentinfo.md)
- [CVPlanarPixelBufferInfo](corevideo/cvplanarpixelbufferinfo.md)
- [CVPlanarPixelBufferInfo_YCbCrPlanar](corevideo/cvplanarpixelbufferinfo_ycbcrplanar.md)
- [CVPlanarPixelBufferInfo_YCbCrBiPlanar](corevideo/cvplanarpixelbufferinfo_ycbcrbiplanar.md)

### Callbacks

- [CVPixelBufferReleaseBytesCallback](corevideo/cvpixelbufferreleasebytescallback.md)
- [CVPixelBufferReleasePlanarBytesCallback](corevideo/cvpixelbufferreleaseplanarbytescallback.md)

### Constants

- [Pixel Buffer Attribute Keys](corevideo/pixel-buffer-attribute-keys.md)

## See Also

### Related Documentation

- [Core Video Programming Guide](apple-archive/documentation/GraphicsImaging/Conceptual/CoreVideo/CVProg_Intro.md)

### Data Processing

- [CVBuffer](corevideo/cvbuffer-nfm.md)
- [CVImageBuffer](corevideo/cvimagebuffer-q40.md)
- [CVPixelBufferPool](corevideo/cvpixelbufferpool-77o.md)
- [CVPixelFormatDescription](corevideo/cvpixelformatdescription-42p.md)