Microsoft's New HD Photo Format Could Be JPEG Killer

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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:28 pm

Quote:

Microsoft on Thursday introduced a new file format for digital photos that the company hopes will one day replace the widely used JPEG format as the industry standard for electronic photography and digital imaging.

Microsoft claims its new HD Photo format allows digital photographers and editors to capture and transmit high quality image files that are half the size of image files created using the JPEG standard. The company also says HD Photo produces fewer unwanted visual artifacts in digital images than JPEG.

JPEG has been used for years by photographers at major news organizations such as the Associated Press and is supported by major digital imaging software manufacturers such as Adobe Systems.

But in keeping with its practice of developing its own computer file formats and unleashing them on the market by embedding them in its products, Microsoft said HD Photo is natively supported by its new Windows Vista operating system and in .Net Framework 3.0.

Microsoft says HD Photo is also supported on Apple's Mac OS X operating system.

Microsoft says it has developed a plug-in that adds HD Photo support to Adobe's popular Photoshop digital image editing program. Microsoft plans to submit HD Photo to an international standards body for certification.

http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197801314

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:31 pm

Yeah but it's Microsoft, there's bound to be horrible bugs in the software.

Master Baiter Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 125 Location: UK

Don't get me started on MS bugs - Vista will currently only work with ONE GAME - And Microsoft won't be helping Apple (or Adobe) unless there is significant financial incentives involved...

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:38 pm

Quote:

practice of developing its own computer file formats and unleashing them on the market by embedding them in its products

This is why they keep getting investigated for unfair practices and monopolies.

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:42 pm

microsoft != standards

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:13 pm

Quote:

developing its own computer file formats and unleashing them on the market by embedding them in its products

cool, another nail in M$'s coffin for the next lawsuit of market power abuse
time to get the axes out and chop the operating system from the rest of MS

419Eater Admin Joined: 30 Sep 2003 Posts: 7469

If you like good anti-PC/Windows rants, check out this guy on YouTube: jungiantheology.

He has some good arguments, though sometimes presented in a way I don't agree with, but you can't deny he's passionate. You'll need to watch all his videos for the full picture Smile

They are mostly NSFW though. No nudity, but plenty of bad language.

Even though I will have a brand new Apple on my desk next week, I personally don't 'hate' the PC or Windows; I'm just tired of them now. They get the job done, just not very efficiently!

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 4:04 pm

Quote:

Microsoft says HD Photo is also supported on Apple's Mac OS X operating system.

Which has been around for years so...Microsoft didn't really invent it?

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:43 pm

For the real high-end, there's RAW. For lossless, consumer-grade HD, there's PNG. For everything else... there's JPEG. That's it. There really isn't some untapped sector of the market -- I mean... there's just not that much room for some new photo format.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 571

OK guys, I'm not a fan of Microsoft, I use Linux as my primary operating system and yada yada yada. But you guys are overreacting to this... if they develop a new technology that works well, good for them. They're willing to make plugins for it for Photoshop and other stuff, so it doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me.

And don't get me started on integrated applications (what is being labeled as unfair practices)... if Apple were subjected to the same standards as Microsoft has been in the courts they would have sued the second OS X came out... Microsoft is sued for billions because they packaged Windows Media Player, Apple is allowed to keep iTunes, iPhoto, iWhatever integrated into the operating system.

Rant over. Sorry Smile

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 9:48 pm

^^^because they aren't integrated into the OS. You can simply delete any of them and no probs. Have you ever tried to wipe internet explorer off windows? All sorts of bad things will happen. Now that's full integration.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 571

Yes it actually is possible to wipe them off the OS, as proven by XPLite.

Granted, they should make it easier to do. But personally I just remove the links to WMP/Internet Explorer and forget they exist. Works perfectly. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:10 am

remu wrote:

OK guys, I'm not a fan of Microsoft, I use Linux as my primary operating system and yada yada yada. But you guys are overreacting to this...
Rant over. Sorry Smile

OK Linux fans, there is a deeper meaning behind of it

Laughing

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:39 am

Gary Dee wrote:

Microsoft claims its new HD Photo format allows digital photographers and editors to capture and transmit high quality image files that are half the size of image files created using the JPEG standard. The company also says HD Photo produces fewer unwanted visual artifacts in digital images than JPEG.

What's the odds that Microshaft'll be bringing out new cameras soon?

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:46 am

maztuhblastah wrote:

there's just not that much room for some new photo format.

....er what's HDRI then??

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:23 am

I use png whenever possible. It is open source, no patent to encumber it, and it is better than jpeg.

What are the odds M$ will charge to use this format, stop all support of jpegs in office and vista, cripple the HD in vista and threaten to sue anyone who uses it.

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:07 am

That would leave IE looking a bit bare Laughing

Most web designers hate anything m$ related as it is. I can't see anyone 'upgrading' their page material to HD any time in the next twenty-thousand years.

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:19 am

M$ wrote:

HD Photo produces fewer unwanted visual artifacts in digital images than JPEG.

How nice. What about lossless formats like tiff etc?

M$ also wrote:

...replace the widely used JPEG format as the industry standard for electronic photography and digital imaging

Grrrr. I wouldn't refer to any compressed format as a "digital imaging standard". There's an implication there that they're very good for image capture or editing. Bollocks. They're good for the web and that's about it.

[There's so many image formats now it's crazy. One of these days I might just invent one of my own. How hard can that be? Laughing

]

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