Posted by Jim Goldstein on March 13, 2007 at 8:49 PM
I had read about Microsofts efforts to launch a rival to the JPEG format late last year. Today they announced the launch of HD Photo (formely Windows Media Photo). The jury is out on whether this will have lasting power.
I just can't understand why MS has put so much R&D and SW resources in developing this when the entire industry uses JPEG. Adobe at least had good reason to introduce DNG to be an "open" RAW format. JPEG is a universally used and understood format.
I can't imagine using the MS product only to find our later that no one uses or supports it other than MS - until it tires of putting resources into it and all images in this format become unusable.
Can you envision all camera manufactures and all SW manufactures and all graphics professionals dumping JPEG to embrace HD Photo?? I think not!
Another thought is that MS is trying to capitalize on the current wave of people switching to HD TV by naming he new format HD Photo. Perhaps some will buy into it, but I still don't think the entire graphics industry, both photo and otherwise, will dump JPE for the new comer.
Posted by Bill Chambers on March 13, 2007 at 11:08 PM
I wish Microsoft would concentrate on making the stuff they already have on the market work before making new crappy stuff.
Posted by David Bostedo on March 13, 2007 at 11:54 PM
If the format is truly open (I don't think it is yet - but MS claims it's coming), I could certainly see room for a new image format, something : more compression options (it offers lossy and lossless), better compression, more embedding options for profiles, layers, etc.
Remember, JPG was simply introduced as a new format without much support (I think - I was pretty young then) but was heavily adopted. I could certainly see HD Photo slowly gaining acceptability in a similar fashion - it's not as if programmers would have to drop JPG. It's also not as if something else couldn't come along as good as or better than HD Photo.
The "HD" name kind of ticks me off (much like "HD radio"), since it's just marketing and doesn't make much sense...
Posted by Jim Goldstein on March 14, 2007 at 2:31 AM
I think there are tons of reasons to be skeptical of this taking off. JPG-2000 is proprietary format that attempted to overtake JPEG and it didn't really go anywhere.
Technically Microsofts format offers nice improvements like improved color range and compression, but they have a horrible track record with "open" formats. I also agree the slick HD marketing is really lame. I find it insults the intelligence of their target audience... but thats just my take.
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8 repliesEngadget Announcement and Microsoft Spec 1.0
I can't imagine using the MS product only to find our later that no one uses or supports it other than MS - until it tires of putting resources into it and all images in this format become unusable.
Can you envision all camera manufactures and all SW manufactures and all graphics professionals dumping JPEG to embrace HD Photo?? I think not!
Another thought is that MS is trying to capitalize on the current wave of people switching to HD TV by naming he new format HD Photo. Perhaps some will buy into it, but I still don't think the entire graphics industry, both photo and otherwise, will dump JPE for the new comer.
Remember, JPG was simply introduced as a new format without much support (I think - I was pretty young then) but was heavily adopted. I could certainly see HD Photo slowly gaining acceptability in a similar fashion - it's not as if programmers would have to drop JPG. It's also not as if something else couldn't come along as good as or better than HD Photo.
The "HD" name kind of ticks me off (much like "HD radio"), since it's just marketing and doesn't make much sense...
Technically Microsofts format offers nice improvements like improved color range and compression, but they have a horrible track record with "open" formats. I also agree the slick HD marketing is really lame. I find it insults the intelligence of their target audience... but thats just my take.
Unilateral Photographic Intruder Gangsters for Microsoft's new format: UPIG
Pete D.