JPEG Addresses HDR Market
The Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) is a Working Group of ISO/IEC, the International Organisation for Standardization / International Electrotechnical Commission, (ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC29/WG 1) and of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T SG16), responsible for the popular JPEG, JPEG 2000 and more recently, the JPSearch and JPEG XR families of imaging standards. The WG1 group meets nominally three times a year, in Europe, North America and Asia. The latest meeting was held on October 15 - 19, 2012, in Shanghai, China hosted by the Chinese National Body.
JPSearch delivers technology specifications to support interoperable image search and management framework. For further extension of interoperability in image search and management, JPSearch will incorporate a simple query interface based on URL (REST) and an ontology for image description and associated information. The JPEG committee issued a call for contributions. Interested parties are encouraged to provide input and to attend the 60th JPEG meeting in Lausanne.
The WG1 group has also launched a systematic review and consolidation of its file formats and codestream syntax with a view to consolidating the benefits of the JPEG system of standards and enabling new functionalities. JPEG Systems intends to specify a system layer for JPEG standards to enable generic support for interactivity protocols, High Dynamic Range (HDR) tools, security and privacy, augmented reality, 3D. Ontology technologies are expected to play an important role in this effort. WG1 continues to welcome inputs to further develop JPEG Systems.
JPEG further explores standardization of an image compression format to deliver HDR imagery using JPEG. Modern consumer image capture devices are capable of up to 12 bits of dynamic range. Likewise, modern image display devices exceed 8 bits of dynamic range per color component. JPEG is the most widely used image storage and delivery format of which a vast majority of the implementations support 8 bit images. This effort is examining the delivery of HDR images using a backward compatible version of JPEG. In this context, comprehensive guidelines for codec evaluation with a specific focus on high dynamic range and S3D images are being defined. Contributions to the HDR activity are welcomed for discussion at the next JPEG meeting.
JPEG continues its study of display stream compression technology by reviewing technical requirements and recommending evaluation criteria and test methodology. This study is performed in close collaboration with the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), which is developing technology recommendations for leading companies in consumer and commercial IT electronics.
“JPEG currently invests a significant effort to define an HDR extension for JPEG that is backward compatible and does not break the current JPEG based application pipelines. The HDR extension will be an enabler for applications such as high dynamic range digital photography and digital cinema, and assure interoperability.” said Dr. Daniel Lee, Convener of the JPEG committee.
The JPEG web site (http://www.jpeg.org) has sponsorship opportunities for all companies involved in developments around JPEG. The marketing departments of interested companies should contact the webmaster, Richard Clark (webmaster@jpeg.org) for this high-traffic site.
The next (60th) WG 1 Meeting and its ad hoc group meetings will be held on January 18-21, 2013, in Lausanne, Switzerland, hosted by EPFL.
More information about JPEG and its work is available at www.jpeg.org or by contacting Iraj Sodagar and Peter Schelkens, the JPEG PR ad hoc group at pr@jpeg.org.