The Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG), the standards committee which created the JPEG image format, is set to scrutinize Microsoft’s HD Photo file format, a candidate for possible adoption as the next standard image format.
If the committee approves the standardization, Microsoft’s HD Photo file format will become the basis for a new file format called JPEG XR (for eXtended Range).
“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,†according to the JPEG committee.
JPEG XR is envisioned to be a higher-end replacement for JPEG, a 20-year-old 8-bit file format that discards embedded sensor data as it compresses the image.
JPEG XR will have up to 32 bits of data recorded for each pixel to accommodate current cameras that typically record 12 bits; higher end models record up to 16 bits.
[Site: JPEG.org]
