JPEG XR is the tentative name for a brand new JPEG format from Microsoft, which, officially, it is now approved. The International JPEG committee has decided to go ahead and create the standard. But, since the standardization might take up to one year, it means that Microsoft will have to be more patient with its hopes to get HD Photo to catch on more broadly. Camera manufacturers can then deliver innovative products that exploit its higher dynamic range, flexible adjustment of color temperature, better compression ratio, and higher overall original image quality.
However, until then, it’s built into Windows Vista, but Microsoft offers the software development kit to implement the technology free and with no royalty constraints. Image-editing powerhouse Adobe Systems has voiced support for the format.
JPEG XR technology simultaneously enables dynamic range extension and preservation of precise details in highly compressed images. This capability is particularly important for applications that demand the high image quality made possible by Foveons X3 image sensors.
HD Photo offers increased image fidelity, preserving the entire original image content and enabling high-quality exposure and color adjustments in the image. This new format offers the ability to decode only the information needed for any resolution or region, a key feature supporting web imaging applications like Windows Li’ve Earth, and the option to manipulate the image as compressed data. HD Photo combines both lossless and lossy image compression in the same design, and can retain the full dynamic range and color fidelity data from a cameras image sensor. JPEG XR introduces support for High Dynamic Range (HDR), a major and fundamental new development in digital imaging. HDR provides benefits for both the capture and rendering processes for digital images, which leads to improved image success for users at both the consumer and professional level.
[tags]jpeg, jpeg xr, jpeg file format, quality file format[/tags]
