LEIPZIG, January 20 2014 – The Independent JPEG Group (IJG) at the Leipzig Institute for Applied Informatics (InfAI, www.infai.org) has released an update of the software library „libjpeg“. In the course of continuous development, the upgrade to the new version 9.1 supports for the first time extended color spaces with wide gamut and higher depths. End users and professional operators thus benefit from more demanding application processes, for example in printing, modern digital color displays and projectors.
The software library is the basis for the processing of images in the ubiquitous JPEG format and is used worldwide in a countless number of applications of software vendors and in the photographic industry under a fee-free license with open source code. For manufacturers of devices like mobile phones, smart phones, and digital photo cameras the software serves as reference for the compatible implementation in hardware components.
The JPEG 9.1 version of the software library „libjpeg“ realises for the first time ever the support of extended color spaces with wide gamut. In comparison to other currently available methods as for example Adobe RGB, the new JPEG 9.1 procedure is better compatible with conventional color spaces and thus easier usable even outside of complex color management systems. The extended color gamut is already partially usable with the normal 8-bit color depth in the conventional implementation of the codec in the available applications. For higher demands the supported range of color depths has been extended to all values from 8 to12, while the higher depths are currently only usable for special applications. A more versatile utilization of higher color depths for normal applications requires a larger implementation effort. It is designed for future versions if necessary.
With the extensions in the area of color space processing as well as further improvements of data processing in the core region of the codec (cosine transformation), the new version 9.1 also represents for the first time a complete reference on source basis for a JPEG codec.
The first version of the software package was introduced 23 years ago in 1991, together with the introduction of the JPEG standard. The software library „libjpeg“ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libjpeg) is since then used in countless applications as basis for the processing of images in JPEG format. The new version JPEG/libjpeg 9.1 developed at InfAI completes a set of format and function extensions which were introduced step by step in previous years. Newly added functions are improved compression by arithmetic entropy coding, flexible scaling options with versatile usability („SmartScale“), and options for true lossless compression.
Further extensions are designed for future versions, in particular to enable the support of applications in the area of High Dynamic Range (HDR) image processing, as well as Augmented Reality.
About InfAI:
The Institute for Applied Informatics e.V. is a non-profit organization supporting science and research as an associated institute of the University Leipzig on the areas of Informatics und Business Informatics. Currently 50 staff members conduct research there. The Independent JPEG Group (http://infai.org/jpeg/) is located at InfAI and benefits from its know-how. The InfAI features an excellent network and has realised numerous research and industry projects since its formation in 2006.
Project Contact InfAI:
Institute for Applied Informatics e. V. at the University Leipzig
Dr. Andrej Werner
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Phone: +49 341 97-33725
jpeg@infai.org
www.infai.org
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