Quote:
Originally Posted by iwod
Does anyone know why there isn't an image format based on H.264?
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It just wasn't good enough. Much like VP8-based WebP, AVC was designed with 8-bit in mind, and despite the range extensions, it never really broke out of that niche; by the time anyone started seriously thinking about utilizing video tech for a new uber-format (as opposed to WebP and JPEG-XR, which I'd call solutions in search of a problem, despite my high hopes for hdp/jxr), HEVC and VP9 were on the scene, AV1 was around the corner, and VVC was in the works. HEIF would be another also-ran if it wasn't for Apple deciding that they finally need something between JPEG and RAW (and since they already have the hardware decoder, might as well make use of it).
Quote:
Originally Posted by iwod
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BPG paved the way, but it's a fairly narrow focus. It's a technically excellent image format. HEIF, in its full standard, sits somewhere between an image and document format; its killer feature is that images can be layered, which makes it possible to mix types of compression where each is most appropriate; imagine layering JPEG areas on a PNG for screenshots, or being able to go back and adjust the exposure an hour later without generational losses. Obviously, Apple hasn't cared about that; they just wanted a better image format and got the stamp of MPEG and ITU, much like they did with AAC, but there's a solid chance it'll give us an image format that'll last as long as good old JPEG did. (Or it could flop like all the other JPEG-killers. Who knows.)