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A high definition successor of JPEG image format is on its way. International Joint Photographic Experts Group (or JPEG) committee has now approved efforts to make Microsoft’s HD Photo Format as a new standard called as JPEG XR, where “XR” stands for extended range.
This new image format from Microsoft was started off as Windows Media Photo in 2006, but later renamed of HD Photo. HD doesn’t really mean High Definition as in TV, but it offers better quality and preserves more subtle details, while offering richer colors and taking only half the storage space of the same image in JPEG format.
Support of HD Photo has been built right into Windows Vista, and a software development kit which helps in implementing the technology has already been released. Microsoft hopes to get their new image format standardized and adopted more broadly. Adobe System, which developed Photoshop image editor, has also supported this new image standard.
[Via: Bink.nu]
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wrote, on November 4th, 2007
HD Photo was not popularly adopted till now… I dont think the standard acceptance is gonna help much, since devices aren’t supporting the format yet!! I think its the digicam makers who can determine the sucess/failure of this format
wrote, on November 4th, 2007
Would Linux and all support this ? I mean, would Microsoft allow that ? If not, its fluff.
And, after IE, no one needs a Microsoft standard. The way IE stagnated the internet is still a nightmare for people.
wrote, on November 14th, 2007
I agree that its the digital camera makers that would make or break this standard but amateurs might use it for previews and printing while web developers might convert images to JPEG XR to replace the internet’s outdated GIF formats.
Im sure it can be developed for Linux systems as long as its not dependent on IE7 like so many Microsoft image rendering products are.