diff --git a/libmpdemux/demux_y4m.c b/libmpdemux/demux_y4m.c
index 4c96b950e3..5484e2c7cd 100644
--- a/libmpdemux/demux_y4m.c
+++ b/libmpdemux/demux_y4m.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 //  Y4M file parser by Rik Snel (using yuv4mpeg*.[ch] from
 //  mjpeg.sourceforge.net) (derived from demux_viv.c)
+//  older YUV4MPEG (used by xawtv) support by Alex Beregszaszi
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -19,27 +20,40 @@
 typedef struct {
     int framenum; 
     y4m_stream_info_t* si;
+    int is_older;
 } y4m_priv_t;
 
 int y4m_check_file(demuxer_t* demuxer){
     int orig_pos = stream_tell(demuxer->stream);
     char buf[10];
+    y4m_priv_t* priv;
     
     mp_msg(MSGT_DEMUX, MSGL_V, "Checking for YUV4MPEG2\n");
     
     stream_read(demuxer->stream, buf, 9);
     buf[9] = 0;
-
-    if (strncmp("YUV4MPEG2", buf, 9)) {
+    
+    if (strncmp("YUV4MPEG2", buf, 9) && strncmp("YUV4MPEG ", buf, 9)) {
 	    mp_msg(MSGT_DEMUX, MSGL_DBG2, "Failed: YUV4MPEG2\n");
 	    return 0;
     }
 
+    demuxer->priv = malloc(sizeof(y4m_priv_t));
+    priv = demuxer->priv;
+
+    priv->is_older = 0;
+
+    if (!strncmp("YUV4MPEG ", buf, 9))
+    {
+	mp_msg(MSGT_DEMUX, MSGL_V, "Found older YUV4MPEG format (used by xawtv)\n");
+	priv->is_older = 1;
+    }
+
     mp_msg(MSGT_DEMUX,MSGL_DBG2,"Success: YUV4MPEG2\n");
 
     stream_seek(demuxer->stream, orig_pos);
 
-return 1;
+    return 1;
 }
 
 
@@ -65,9 +79,19 @@ int demux_y4m_fill_buffer(demuxer_t *demux) {
   buf[1] = dp->buffer + 5*size/4;
   buf[2] = dp->buffer + size;
 
-  if ((err=y4m_read_frame(demux->stream, priv->si, &fi, buf)) != Y4M_OK) {
+  if (priv->is_older)
+  {
+    stream_skip(demux->stream, 6); /* FRAME\n */
+    stream_read(demux->stream, buf[0], size);
+    stream_read(demux->stream, buf[1], size/4);
+    stream_read(demux->stream, buf[2], size/4);
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    if ((err=y4m_read_frame(demux->stream, priv->si, &fi, buf)) != Y4M_OK) {
       mp_msg(MSGT_DEMUX, MSGL_V, "error reading frame %s\n", y4m_strerr(err));
       return 0;
+    }
   }
 
   /* This seems to be the right way to calculate the presentation time stamp */
@@ -81,40 +105,96 @@ int demux_y4m_fill_buffer(demuxer_t *demux) {
 }
 
 void demux_open_y4m(demuxer_t* demuxer){
-    y4m_priv_t* priv;
+    y4m_priv_t* priv = demuxer->priv;
     y4m_ratio_t framerate;
     sh_video_t* sh=new_sh_video(demuxer,0);
     int err;
 
-    demuxer->priv = malloc(sizeof(y4m_priv_t));
-    priv = demuxer->priv;
-
     priv->framenum = 0;
     priv->si = malloc(sizeof(y4m_stream_info_t));
 
-    y4m_init_stream_info(priv->si);
-    if ((err=y4m_read_stream_header(demuxer->stream, priv->si)) != Y4M_OK) 
-	    mp_msg(MSGT_DEMUXER, MSGL_FATAL, "error parsing YUV4MPEG header: %s\n", y4m_strerr(err));
-	    
-    sh->format = mmioFOURCC('Y', 'V', '1', '2');
+    if (priv->is_older)
+    {
+	char buf[4];
+	int frame_rate_code;
 
-    if(!sh->fps) {
-        framerate = y4m_si_get_framerate(priv->si);
-        if (framerate.d != 0)
-            sh->fps=(float)framerate.n/(float)framerate.d;
-        else
-            sh->fps=15.0f;
+	priv->framenum = 1;
+	stream_skip(demuxer->stream, 8); /* YUV4MPEG */
+	stream_skip(demuxer->stream, 1); /* space */
+	stream_read(demuxer->stream, (char *)&buf[0], 3);
+	buf[3] = 0;
+	sh->disp_w = atoi(buf);
+	stream_skip(demuxer->stream, 1); /* space */
+	stream_read(demuxer->stream, (char *)&buf[0], 3);
+	buf[3] = 0;
+	sh->disp_h = atoi(buf);
+	stream_skip(demuxer->stream, 1); /* space */
+	stream_read(demuxer->stream, (char *)&buf[0], 1);
+	buf[1] = 0;
+	frame_rate_code = atoi(buf);
+	stream_skip(demuxer->stream, 1); /* new-line */
+	
+	if (!sh->fps)
+	{
+	    /* values from xawtv */
+	    switch(frame_rate_code)
+	    {
+		case 1:
+		    sh->fps = 23.976f;
+		    break;
+		case 2:
+		    sh->fps = 24.0f;
+		    break;
+		case 3:
+		    sh->fps = 25.0f;
+		    break;
+		case 4:
+		    sh->fps = 29.97f;
+		    break;
+		case 5:
+		    sh->fps = 30.0f;
+		    break;
+		case 6:
+		    sh->fps = 50.0f;
+		    break;
+		case 7:
+		    sh->fps = 59.94f;
+		    break;
+		case 8:
+		    sh->fps = 60.0f;
+		    break;
+		default:
+		    sh->fps = 25.0f;
+	    }
+	}
+	sh->frametime = 1.0f/sh->fps;
     }
-    sh->frametime=1.0f/sh->fps;
+    else
+    {
+	y4m_init_stream_info(priv->si);
+	if ((err=y4m_read_stream_header(demuxer->stream, priv->si)) != Y4M_OK) 
+	    mp_msg(MSGT_DEMUXER, MSGL_FATAL, "error parsing YUV4MPEG header: %s\n", y4m_strerr(err));
+	
+	if(!sh->fps) {
+    	    framerate = y4m_si_get_framerate(priv->si);
+    	    if (framerate.d != 0)
+        	sh->fps=(float)framerate.n/(float)framerate.d;
+    	    else
+        	sh->fps=15.0f;
+	}
+	sh->frametime=1.0f/sh->fps;
 
-    sh->disp_w = y4m_si_get_width(priv->si);
-    sh->disp_h = y4m_si_get_height(priv->si);
+	sh->disp_w = y4m_si_get_width(priv->si);
+	sh->disp_h = y4m_si_get_height(priv->si);
+    }
+
+    sh->format = mmioFOURCC('Y', 'V', '1', '2');
 
     sh->bih=malloc(sizeof(BITMAPINFOHEADER));
     memset(sh->bih,0,sizeof(BITMAPINFOHEADER));
     sh->bih->biSize=40;
-    sh->bih->biWidth = priv->si->width;
-    sh->bih->biHeight = priv->si->height;
+    sh->bih->biWidth = sh->disp_w;
+    sh->bih->biHeight = sh->disp_h;
     sh->bih->biPlanes=3;
     sh->bih->biBitCount=12;
     sh->bih->biCompression=sh->format;
@@ -134,7 +214,10 @@ void demux_open_y4m(demuxer_t* demuxer){
 
 void demux_close_y4m(demuxer_t *demuxer)
 {
-    y4m_fini_stream_info(((y4m_priv_t*)demuxer->priv)->si);
+    y4m_priv_t* priv;
+    
+    if (!priv->is_older)
+	y4m_fini_stream_info(((y4m_priv_t*)demuxer->priv)->si);
     free(((y4m_priv_t*)demuxer->priv)->si);
     free(demuxer->priv);
     return;