The venerable JPEG image-compression standard is about to get a little bigger -- the international committee that regulates the standard just approved the creation of a format called JPEG XR based on Microsoft's HD Photo spec. The Joint Photographic Experts Committee started
looking at standardizing HD Photo last month (formerly known as Windows Media Photo) because it features higher compression efficiency, better image fidelity, and more flexible in-camera editing options, and major camera makers and software vendors like Hasselblad and Adobe supported the format's metamorphosis into JPEG XR. It's not all cake and gumballs just yet, though -- although the committee approval process is over, it'll still take another year of work to clean up the spec and bring it in line with JPEG's standardization requirements. Now if only Microsoft would open up the rest of Windows Media, we'd be grinning from ear to ear.
[Via
Electronista]
posted November 2nd 2007 9:16PM
I have never known Microsoft do anything for the good of the industry before? Yet I know plenty of examples where they try and ruin their competitors. So this made no sense.
I guess MS has a soft side after all.
You seem to forget while Microsoft is one company, it is made up of many parts. Within this, some almost independent (think of the Xbox and the Microsoft Game Studios) there are research divisions that come up with stuff like this image format. Instead of locking it down (which would be useless for an image format unlike audio or video) they open it up, and get their name kept with it in the process. If it weren't open, more companies like camera manufacturers and photo software suites may not want to pay to implement it, so this way Microsoft gets their name and format out there in a positive way that's more encouraging to the other people using it, like the current JPEG standard before it. If they really want to replace it they have no other choice, otherwise it simply won't work.
Yeah I understand that, but they aren't getting any gain from it in this case are they. Except maybe advertising of the MS brand.
Dear Michael.
What've you been smoking?
XR = xtra ridiculous
One thing to be aware of with JPEG2000 are the numerous patent issues surrounding it. Despite the assurances of the JPEG standardization body, several patent issues have not been fully resolved. There is great fear that a UNISYS GIF type fiasco could emerge after the CODEC got ubiquitous.
Will it be able to hold screen capture data from Doom?
I just hope these pictures look better than WMA's sound.
Why don't you all try it for yourself and see how you like it?
http://blogs.msdn.com/billcrow/archive/2007/08/17/updated-hd-photo-plug-ins-for-adobe-photoshop-software.aspx