Members of the Joint Photographic Experts Group, which created the JPEG standard, have approved a proposal to make Microsoft’s HD Photo format a new standard that is likely to eventually replace JPEG.

 

November 5, 2007: Members of the Joint Photographic Experts Group, which created the JPEG standard, have approved a proposal to make Microsoft’s HD Photo format a new standard that is likely to eventually replace JPEG.
The new standard will be called JPEG XR, with the ‘XR’ standing for ‘extended range’. It refers to the format’s ability to support a wider range of tonal gradations and a richer colour palette than JPEG. A press release on the JPEG website (www.jpeg.org) says: “One important aspect regarding the standardization of HD Photo is Microsoft’s commitment to make its patents that are required to implement the specification available without charge. Microsoft’s royalty free commitment will help the JPEG committee foster widespread adoption of the specification and help ensure that it can be implemented by the widest possible audience. The JPEG committee hopes and encourages all participants in its meetings to consider this royalty free approach when offering patented technology as a candidate for standardization.“
However, Microsoft will need to be patient as it waits for JPEG XR to be widely adopted. Even though the JPEG committee has approved HD Photo, the International JPEG Committee has now to actually create the new JPEG XR standard, a process that typically takes about a year. This step is important in transforming what was formerly an in-house technology to a neutral format that would be acceptable to companies that would prefer not to be beholden to Microsoft.
Microsoft has already begun to facilitate the adoption of JPEG XR with its Vista operating system, which is supplied with built-in HD Photo/JPEG XR support. As Vista adoption becomes widespread, camera manufacturers will be able to count on increasing support for JPEG XR when customers upload images to their computers and more web browsers will require the ability to display and save images in the new file format. This shoudl encourage them to adopt the new format in their latest devices.
The biggest obstacle preventing adoption of JPEG XR is JPEG’s momentum. Currently, JPEG is the primary file format for every device and every browser and every workflow involving digital imaging. However, the current limitations of the JPEG format are driving increasing numbers of photographers towards Raw file capture, even though it may be less convenient, in order to obtain wider tonal and colour gamuts. Interestingly, Adobe Systems, which has developed the most widely-used ‘open’ raw file format, does not see JPEG XR as a competitor to its Digital Negative (DNG) format.
A company spokesperson has commented: “The proposed JPEG XR solution will certainly provide increased quality for consumers using the current JPEG 8-bit format. But for serious photographers I don’t see a significant amount of overlap between the value and flexibility that DNG (or proprietary raw formats) currently offer and the proposed JPEG XR solution.” JPEG XR, he said, improves on JPEG limitations in its inability to record more than 8 bits of data per colour, providing a relatively coarse 256 levels between complete darkness and complete brightness. But it’s no raw replacement.