diff --git a/sys/v4l/gstv4lelement.c b/sys/v4l/gstv4lelement.c
index 9ad6ce2802..ab3c9fe10b 100644
--- a/sys/v4l/gstv4lelement.c
+++ b/sys/v4l/gstv4lelement.c
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ enum {
   ARG_DEVICE_IS_MPEG_PLAYBACK,
   ARG_DISPLAY,
   ARG_VIDEOWINDOW,
-  ARG_CLIPPING,
   ARG_DO_OVERLAY,
 };
 
@@ -205,9 +204,6 @@ gst_v4lelement_class_init (GstV4lElementClass *klass)
   g_object_class_install_property(G_OBJECT_CLASS(klass), ARG_VIDEOWINDOW,
     g_param_spec_pointer("videowindow","videowindow","videowindow",
     G_PARAM_WRITABLE));
-  g_object_class_install_property(G_OBJECT_CLASS(klass), ARG_CLIPPING,
-    g_param_spec_pointer("videowindowclip","videowindowclip","videowindowclip",
-    G_PARAM_WRITABLE));
 
   gobject_class->set_property = gst_v4lelement_set_property;
   gobject_class->get_property = gst_v4lelement_get_property;
@@ -357,29 +353,13 @@ gst_v4lelement_set_property (GObject      *object,
       v4lelement->display = g_strdup(g_value_get_string(value));
       break;
     case ARG_VIDEOWINDOW:
-      if (GST_V4L_IS_OPEN(v4lelement))
-        gst_v4l_set_window(v4lelement,
-          ((GstV4lRect*)g_value_get_pointer(value))->x,
-          ((GstV4lRect*)g_value_get_pointer(value))->y,
-          ((GstV4lRect*)g_value_get_pointer(value))->w,
-          ((GstV4lRect*)g_value_get_pointer(value))->h);
-      break;
-    case ARG_CLIPPING:
       if (GST_V4L_IS_OPEN(v4lelement))
       {
-        gint i;
-        struct video_clip *clips;
-        GList *list = (GList*)g_value_get_pointer(value);
-        clips = g_malloc(sizeof(struct video_clip) * g_list_length(list));
-        for (i=0;i<g_list_length(list);i++)
-        {
-          clips[i].x = ((GstV4lRect*)g_list_nth_data(list, i))->x;
-          clips[i].y = ((GstV4lRect*)g_list_nth_data(list, i))->y;
-          clips[i].width = ((GstV4lRect*)g_list_nth_data(list, i))->w;
-          clips[i].height = ((GstV4lRect*)g_list_nth_data(list, i))->h;
-        }
-        gst_v4l_set_clips(v4lelement, clips, g_list_length(list));
-        g_free(clips);
+        GByteArray *array = (GByteArray *) g_value_get_pointer(value);
+        struct video_clip *clips = (struct video_clip *) array->data;
+        gst_v4l_set_window(v4lelement,
+          clips->x, clips->y, clips->width, clips->height,
+          &clips[1], array->len/sizeof(struct video_clip)-1);
       }
       break;
     default:
diff --git a/sys/v4l/gstv4lelement.h b/sys/v4l/gstv4lelement.h
index 3ca2ca47b3..1519e85703 100644
--- a/sys/v4l/gstv4lelement.h
+++ b/sys/v4l/gstv4lelement.h
@@ -65,9 +65,6 @@ struct _GstV4lElement {
   /* some more info about the current input's capabilities */
   struct video_channel vchan;
 
-  /* and last but not least, the current video window */
-  struct video_window vwin;
-
   /* caching values */
   gint channel;
   gint norm;
diff --git a/sys/v4l/v4l-overlay_calls.c b/sys/v4l/v4l-overlay_calls.c
index 8fdbb36dda..1754d99fdb 100644
--- a/sys/v4l/v4l-overlay_calls.c
+++ b/sys/v4l/v4l-overlay_calls.c
@@ -73,26 +73,6 @@ gst_v4l_set_overlay (GstV4lElement *v4lelement,
 }
 
 
-/******************************************************
- * gst_v4l_set_vwin():
- *   does the VIDIOCSVWIN ioctl()
- * return value: TRUE on success, FALSE on error
- ******************************************************/
-
-static gboolean
-gst_v4l_set_vwin (GstV4lElement *v4lelement)
-{
-  if (ioctl(v4lelement->video_fd, VIDIOCSWIN, &(v4lelement->vwin)) < 0)
-  {
-    gst_element_error(GST_ELEMENT(v4lelement),
-      "Failed to set the video window: %s",
-      sys_errlist[errno]);
-    return FALSE;
-  }
-  return TRUE;
-}
-
-
 /******************************************************
  * gst_v4l_set_window():
  *   sets the window where to display the video overlay
@@ -100,52 +80,48 @@ gst_v4l_set_vwin (GstV4lElement *v4lelement)
  ******************************************************/
 
 gboolean
-gst_v4l_set_window (GstV4lElement *v4lelement,
-                    gint x,        gint y,
-                    gint w,        gint h)
+gst_v4l_set_window (GstV4lElement     *v4lelement,
+                    gint               x,
+                    gint               y,
+                    gint               w,
+                    gint               h,
+                    struct video_clip *clips,
+                    gint               num_clips)
 {
+  struct video_window vwin;
+
   DEBUG("setting video window to position (x,y/wxh) = %d,%d/%dx%d",
     x, y, w, h);
-  GST_V4L_CHECK_OVERLAY(v4lelement);
-
-  v4lelement->vwin.clipcount = 0;
-  v4lelement->vwin.x = x;
-  v4lelement->vwin.y = y;
-  v4lelement->vwin.width = w;
-  v4lelement->vwin.height = h;
-  v4lelement->vwin.flags = 0;
-
-  return gst_v4l_set_vwin(v4lelement);
-}
-
-
-/******************************************************
- * gst_v4l_set_clips():
- *   sets video overlay clips
- * return value: TRUE on success, FALSE on error
- ******************************************************/
-
-gboolean
-gst_v4l_set_clips (GstV4lElement     *v4lelement,
-                   struct video_clip *clips,
-                   gint               num_clips)
-{
-  DEBUG("setting video window clips");
   GST_V4L_CHECK_OPEN(v4lelement);
   GST_V4L_CHECK_OVERLAY(v4lelement);
 
-  if (!(v4lelement->vcap.type & VID_TYPE_CLIPPING))
+  vwin.x = x;
+  vwin.y = y;
+  vwin.width = w;
+  vwin.height = h;
+  vwin.flags = 0;
+
+  if (clips && !(v4lelement->vcap.type & VID_TYPE_CLIPPING))
+  {
+    DEBUG("Device \'%s\' doesn't do clipping",
+      v4lelement->videodev?v4lelement->videodev:"/dev/video");
+    vwin.clips = 0;
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    vwin.clips = clips;
+    vwin.clipcount = num_clips;
+  }
+
+  if (ioctl(v4lelement->video_fd, VIDIOCSWIN, &vwin) < 0)
   {
     gst_element_error(GST_ELEMENT(v4lelement),
-      "Device \'%s\' doesn't do clipping",
-      v4lelement->videodev?v4lelement->videodev:"/dev/video");
+      "Failed to set the video window: %s",
+      sys_errlist[errno]);
     return FALSE;
   }
 
-  v4lelement->vwin.clips = clips;
-  v4lelement->vwin.clipcount = num_clips;
-
-  return gst_v4l_set_vwin(v4lelement);
+  return TRUE;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/sys/v4l/v4l_calls.c b/sys/v4l/v4l_calls.c
index aba0e152ac..cdc715833a 100644
--- a/sys/v4l/v4l_calls.c
+++ b/sys/v4l/v4l_calls.c
@@ -97,20 +97,6 @@ gst_v4l_open (GstV4lElement *v4lelement)
     return FALSE;
   }
 
-  /* and get the video window */
-  if (GST_V4L_IS_OVERLAY(v4lelement))
-  {
-    if (ioctl(v4lelement->video_fd, VIDIOCGWIN, &(v4lelement->vwin)) < 0)
-    {
-      close(v4lelement->video_fd);
-      v4lelement->video_fd = -1;
-      gst_element_error(GST_ELEMENT(v4lelement),
-        "Failed to get video window properties of \'%s\': %s",
-        v4lelement->videodev, sys_errlist[errno]);
-      return FALSE;
-    }
-  }
-
   gst_info("Opened device \'%s\' (\'%s\') successfully\n",
     v4lelement->vcap.name, v4lelement->videodev);
 
diff --git a/sys/v4l/v4l_calls.h b/sys/v4l/v4l_calls.h
index 892b0e09f3..c6cc9f61bd 100644
--- a/sys/v4l/v4l_calls.h
+++ b/sys/v4l/v4l_calls.h
@@ -130,8 +130,9 @@ gboolean gst_v4l_set_audio      (GstV4lElement *v4lelement, GstV4lAudioType type
 
 /* overlay */
 gboolean gst_v4l_set_overlay    (GstV4lElement *v4lelement, gchar *display);
-gboolean gst_v4l_set_window     (GstV4lElement *v4lelement, gint x, gint y,           gint w, gint h);
-gboolean gst_v4l_set_clips      (GstV4lElement *v4lelement, struct video_clip *clips, gint num_clips);
+gboolean gst_v4l_set_window     (GstV4lElement *v4lelement, gint x,                   gint y,
+                                                            gint w,                   gint h,
+                                                            struct video_clip *clips, gint num_clips);
 gboolean gst_v4l_enable_overlay (GstV4lElement *v4lelement, gboolean enable);