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Google revamping the image formats

Recently Google launched a new file format for images and pictures. The new file format is “WebP” which is pronounced as “weppy”. The obvious aim behind this revamping seems to fasten the experience of viewing and using images and pictures on internet or so called “www”. And the most amazing part is Google launched it as open source.

WebP will typically gonna achieve an average of 39% more compression than JPEG and JPEG 2000, without loss of image quality

WebP will provide:

  • A faster user experience on your site.
  • Reduce your bandwidth and hosting costs.
  • Improve the web!

How does it works:

WebP is a method of lossy compression that can be used on photographic images. The degree of compression is adjustable so a user can choose the trade-off between file size and image quality.

A WebP file consists of VP8 image data, and a container based on RIFF. Webmasters, web developers and browser developers can use the WebP format to create smaller, better looking images that can help make the web faster.

WebP uses predictive coding to encode an image, the same methodology used by the VP8 video codec to compress keyframes in videos. Predictive coding uses the values in neighboring blocks of pixels to predict the values in a block, and then encodes only the difference (residual) between the actual values and the prediction. The residuals typically contain many zero values, which can be compressed much more effectively. The residuals are then transformed, quantized and entropy-coded as usual. WebP also uses variable block sizes.

Few other FAQs regarding WebP:

How can I convert my personal images files to WebP?

You can use the WebP command line utility to convert your personal image files to WebP format. See Using WebP for more details.

How can I judge WebP image quality for myself?

Currently, you can view WebP files by converting them into a common format that uses lossless compression, such as PNG, and then view the PNG files in any browser or image viewer. To get a quick idea of WebP quality, see the Gallery on this site for side-by-side photo comparisons.

How do I get the source code?

The converter code is available on the downloads section of the WebP open-source project page. The code for the lightweight decoder and the V8 specification are on the WebM site. See the RIFF Container page for the container specification.

What is the maximum size a WebP image can be?

WebP is bitstream-compatible with VP8 and uses 14 bits for width and height. The maximum file size for WebP is 16383×16383 pixels.

What color spaces does the WebP format support?

WebP uses the color spaces supported by the VP8 bitstream.

I’m a webmaster. What do I need to know about web development before I can use WebP?

Webmasters who are interested in improving site performance and who usually optimize the JPEG images on their site for quality can create WebP files easily. In order to use these files at serving time, they can target browsers that support WebP

Download and install WebP

Convert your collection into WebP now

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A common guy with uncommon dreams, passionate about new and emerging technologies. I share here what i find new, useful and helpful to others also. Thank you for spending your precious time here!

1 Comment or Ping

  • Tweets that mention Google revamping the image formats | Harsh Ajmera -- Topsy.com says:
    02/10/2010 at 3:04 PM

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by raza rahil hussain and Harsh Ajmera, Harsh Ajmera. Harsh Ajmera said: Google revamping the image formats http://www.harshajmera.com/blog/2010/10/google-revamping-the-image-formats/ [...]

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