UYVY to PCD Converter

Online UYVY to PCD — instant image conversion

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Quality Output

Output quality matters. The converter produces well-encoded PCD files that maintain the integrity of your source UYVY data.

Visual Fidelity

Your UYVY visual data maintains its quality through the conversion pipeline — the PCD output looks accurate.

Simple Workflow

Upload, convert, download — the entire UYVY to PCD workflow takes under a minute for most files.

How to convert UYVY to PCD

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose pcd or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your pcd file right afterwards

About formats

UYVY is a packed pixel format for storing images and video frames in YUV 4:2:2 chroma-subsampled color space, with the UYVY designation indicating the byte ordering within each 4-byte macropixel: U (Cb), Y0, V (Cr), Y1. Each macropixel encodes two horizontal pixels sharing a single pair of chrominance samples (U and V) but retaining individual luminance values (Y0 and Y1), achieving 2:1 horizontal chroma subsampling that reduces data size by 33% compared to full 4:4:4 YUV while maintaining full luminance resolution. The UYVY ordering is specified as a FOURCC code in Microsoft's Video for Windows and DirectShow frameworks, and is commonly used in professional video capture cards, broadcast equipment, and video processing pipelines. UYVY raw files contain no header — the pixel data is a flat sequence of U,Y,V,Y byte quadruplets, requiring external specification of image dimensions. The 4:2:2 subsampling exploits the human visual system's lower spatial resolution for color compared to brightness: the eye notices luminance detail at much higher spatial frequencies than chrominance detail, so sharing color samples between adjacent pixels produces no visible quality loss in practice. One advantage is broadcast-standard compatibility: UYVY's 4:2:2 sampling matches the chrominance structure used in professional video standards (ITU-R BT.601, SDI), making it the natural format for video capture hardware and frame-accurate processing. The format's efficient memory layout is another strength — the packed byte arrangement enables fast DMA transfers between capture hardware and system memory. UYVY data is handled by FFmpeg, ImageMagick, and professional video capture/editing software.
Developer: ITU-T / Microsoft
Initial release: 1982
PCD (Photo CD) is a proprietary image format developed by Eastman Kodak in partnership with Philips, launched in 1992 as a system for transferring 35mm film photographs to compact discs for digital viewing and printing. Each PCD file stores a single photograph at five different resolutions in a hierarchical structure called an Image Pac: Base/16 (192x128), Base/4 (384x256), Base (768x512), 4Base (1536x1024), and 16Base (3072x2048), with optional 64Base (6144x4096) on Pro Photo CD discs. Images are stored in Kodak's proprietary YCC color space (a variant of CIE Lab via the Photo YCC color model), which captures a wider gamut than sRGB, at 8 bits per component in the luminance channel and subsampled chrominance. The multi-resolution pyramid is encoded using a progressive scheme: the Base image is stored directly, and each higher resolution is stored as a residual (difference) that refines the upscaled previous level, keeping the total file size manageable. One advantage is the exceptional scan quality: Photo CD scans were performed on Kodak's professional PIW (Photo Imaging Workstation) scanners by trained operators, producing consistently excellent results from 35mm negatives and slides — often better than what contemporary consumer flatbed scanners could achieve. The multi-resolution structure is another notable feature: a single PCD file serves needs from thumbnail browsing to high-resolution printing without separate file versions. PCD files can be read by Adobe Photoshop, ImageMagick, GIMP (via plugin), IrfanView, and XnView, ensuring continued access to the millions of Photo CD images created during the format's commercial peak in the 1990s.
Developer: Eastman Kodak
Initial release: 1992

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert UYVY to PCD?

UYVY data from video capture and broadcast equipment becomes universally viewable once converted to PCD format.

How do I open PCD files?

You can open PCD with IrfanView, GIMP, Kodak software. No specialized software is needed on most modern systems.

What platforms support this conversion?

The converter runs entirely in the browser, so it works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android without issues.

Is UYVY to PCD conversion accurate?

Convertio preserves the visual content from your UYVY data during conversion — the PCD output faithfully represents the source.

Does the conversion happen on my device?

Convertio handles all processing on its servers — your device just uploads the UYVY and downloads the PCD result.

What quality can I expect from PCD output?

Quality depends on the source data, but PCD format provides multi-resolution Kodak photo format for excellent results.