diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/video/video.c b/gst-libs/gst/video/video.c
index 34b9cb5997..a9f8ffe8fa 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/video/video.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/video/video.c
@@ -630,6 +630,149 @@ gst_video_format_new_caps (GstVideoFormat format, int width,
 }
 
 
+static GstVideoFormat
+gst_video_format_from_rgb32_masks (int red_mask, int green_mask, int blue_mask)
+{
+  if (red_mask == 0xff000000 && green_mask == 0x00ff0000 &&
+      blue_mask == 0x0000ff00) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_RGBx;
+  }
+  if (red_mask == 0x0000ff00 && green_mask == 0x00ff0000 &&
+      blue_mask == 0xff000000) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_BGRx;
+  }
+  if (red_mask == 0x00ff0000 && green_mask == 0x0000ff00 &&
+      blue_mask == 0x000000ff) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_xRGB;
+  }
+  if (red_mask == 0x000000ff && green_mask == 0x0000ff00 &&
+      blue_mask == 0x00ff0000) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_xBGR;
+  }
+
+  return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_UNKNOWN;
+}
+
+static GstVideoFormat
+gst_video_format_from_rgba32_masks (int red_mask, int green_mask,
+    int blue_mask, int alpha_mask)
+{
+  if (red_mask == 0xff000000 && green_mask == 0x00ff0000 &&
+      blue_mask == 0x0000ff00 && alpha_mask == 0x000000ff) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_RGBA;
+  }
+  if (red_mask == 0x0000ff00 && green_mask == 0x00ff0000 &&
+      blue_mask == 0xff000000 && alpha_mask == 0x000000ff) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_BGRA;
+  }
+  if (red_mask == 0x00ff0000 && green_mask == 0x0000ff00 &&
+      blue_mask == 0x000000ff && alpha_mask == 0xff000000) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_ARGB;
+  }
+  if (red_mask == 0x000000ff && green_mask == 0x0000ff00 &&
+      blue_mask == 0x00ff0000 && alpha_mask == 0xff000000) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_ABGR;
+  }
+  return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_UNKNOWN;
+}
+
+static GstVideoFormat
+gst_video_format_from_rgb24_masks (int red_mask, int green_mask, int blue_mask)
+{
+  if (red_mask == 0xff0000 && green_mask == 0x00ff00 && blue_mask == 0x0000ff) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_RGB;
+  }
+  if (red_mask == 0x0000ff && green_mask == 0x00ff00 && blue_mask == 0xff0000) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_BGR;
+  }
+
+  return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_UNKNOWN;
+}
+
+#define GST_VIDEO_COMP1_MASK_16_INT 0xf800
+#define GST_VIDEO_COMP2_MASK_16_INT 0x07e0
+#define GST_VIDEO_COMP3_MASK_16_INT 0x001f
+
+#define GST_VIDEO_COMP1_MASK_15_INT 0x7c00
+#define GST_VIDEO_COMP2_MASK_15_INT 0x03e0
+#define GST_VIDEO_COMP3_MASK_15_INT 0x001f
+
+static GstVideoFormat
+gst_video_format_from_rgb16_masks (int red_mask, int green_mask, int blue_mask)
+{
+  if (red_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP1_MASK_16_INT
+      && green_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP2_MASK_16_INT
+      && blue_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP3_MASK_16_INT) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_RGB16;
+  }
+  if (red_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP3_MASK_16_INT
+      && green_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP2_MASK_16_INT
+      && blue_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP1_MASK_16_INT) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_BGR16;
+  }
+  if (red_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP1_MASK_15_INT
+      && green_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP2_MASK_15_INT
+      && blue_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP3_MASK_15_INT) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_RGB15;
+  }
+  if (red_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP3_MASK_15_INT
+      && green_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP2_MASK_15_INT
+      && blue_mask == GST_VIDEO_COMP1_MASK_15_INT) {
+    return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_BGR15;
+  }
+  return GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_UNKNOWN;
+}
+
+GstVideoFormat
+gst_video_format_from_masks (gint depth, gint bpp, gint endianness,
+    gint red_mask, gint green_mask, gint blue_mask, gint alpha_mask)
+{
+  GstVideoFormat format;
+
+  /* our caps system handles 24/32bpp RGB as big-endian. */
+  if ((bpp == 24 || bpp == 32) && endianness == G_LITTLE_ENDIAN) {
+    red_mask = GUINT32_TO_BE (red_mask);
+    green_mask = GUINT32_TO_BE (green_mask);
+    blue_mask = GUINT32_TO_BE (blue_mask);
+    endianness = G_BIG_ENDIAN;
+    if (bpp == 24) {
+      red_mask >>= 8;
+      green_mask >>= 8;
+      blue_mask >>= 8;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (depth == 30 && bpp == 32) {
+    format = GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_r210;
+  } else if (depth == 24 && bpp == 32) {
+    format = gst_video_format_from_rgb32_masks (red_mask, green_mask,
+        blue_mask);
+  } else if (depth == 32 && bpp == 32 && alpha_mask) {
+    format = gst_video_format_from_rgba32_masks (red_mask, green_mask,
+        blue_mask, alpha_mask);
+  } else if (depth == 24 && bpp == 24) {
+    format = gst_video_format_from_rgb24_masks (red_mask, green_mask,
+        blue_mask);
+  } else if ((depth == 15 || depth == 16) && bpp == 16 &&
+      endianness == G_BYTE_ORDER) {
+    format = gst_video_format_from_rgb16_masks (red_mask, green_mask,
+        blue_mask);
+  } else if (depth == 8 && bpp == 8) {
+    format = GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_RGB8_PALETTED;
+  } else if (depth == 64 && bpp == 64) {
+    format = gst_video_format_from_rgba32_masks (red_mask, green_mask,
+        blue_mask, alpha_mask);
+    if (format == GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_ARGB) {
+      format = GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_ARGB64;
+    } else {
+      format = GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_UNKNOWN;
+    }
+  } else {
+    format = GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_UNKNOWN;
+  }
+  return format;
+}
+
 /**
  * gst_video_format_from_fourcc:
  * @fourcc: a FOURCC value representing raw YUV video
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/video/video.h b/gst-libs/gst/video/video.h
index 01bdc8bf8d..cb6929050a 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/video/video.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/video/video.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
  * @GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_I420: planar 4:2:0 YUV
  * @GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_YV12: planar 4:2:0 YVU (like I420 but UV planes swapped)
  * @GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_YUY2: packed 4:2:2 YUV (Y0-U0-Y1-V0 Y2-U2-Y3-V2 Y4 ...)
- * @GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_UYVY: packed 4:2:2 YUV (U0-Y0-V0-Y1 U2-Y2-V2-Y3 U4 ...) 
+ * @GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_UYVY: packed 4:2:2 YUV (U0-Y0-V0-Y1 U2-Y2-V2-Y3 U4 ...)
  * @GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_AYUV: packed 4:4:4 YUV with alpha channel (A0-Y0-U0-V0 ...)
  * @GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_RGBx: sparse rgb packed into 32 bit, space last
  * @GST_VIDEO_FORMAT_BGRx: sparse reverse rgb packed into 32 bit, space last
@@ -124,6 +124,13 @@ typedef enum {
 #define GST_VIDEO_SIZE_RANGE "(int) [ 1, max ]"
 #define GST_VIDEO_FPS_RANGE "(fraction) [ 0, max ]"
 
+#define GST_VIDEO_FORMATS_ALL "{ \"I420\"," "\"YV12\"," "\"YUY2\"," "\"UYVY\"," "\"AYUV\"," "\"RGBx\"," \
+    "\"BGRx\"," "\"xRGB\"," "\"xBGR\"," "\"RGBA\"," "\"BGRA\"," "\"ARGB\"," "\"ABGR\"," "\"RGB\"," \
+    "\"BGR\"," "\"Y41B\"," "\"Y42B\"," "\"YVYU\"," "\"Y444\"," "\"v210\"," "\"v216\"," "\"NV12\"," \
+    "\"NV21\"," "\"GRAY8\"," "\"GRAY16_BE\"," "\"GRAY16_LE\"," "\"v308\"," "\"Y800\"," "\"Y16\"," \
+    "\"RGB16\"," "\"BGR16\"," "\"RGB15\"," "\"BGR15\"," "\"UYVP\"," "\"A420\"," "\"RGB8_PALETTED\"," \
+    "\"YUV9\"," "\"YVU9\"," "\"IYU1\"," "\"ARGB64\"," "\"AYUV64\"," "\"r210\" } "
+
 /**
  * GST_VIDEO_CAPS_MAKE:
  * @format: string format that describes the pixel layout, as string
@@ -238,6 +245,10 @@ GstCaps *      gst_video_format_new_template_caps (GstVideoFormat format);
 
 /* format properties */
 
+GstVideoFormat gst_video_format_from_masks (gint depth, gint bpp, gint endianness,
+                                            gint red_mask, gint green_mask,
+                                            gint blue_mask, gint alpha_mask) G_GNUC_CONST;
+
 GstVideoFormat gst_video_format_from_fourcc (guint32 fourcc) G_GNUC_CONST;
 GstVideoFormat gst_video_format_from_string (const gchar *format) G_GNUC_CONST;