DIG2000

JPEG 2000 and I3A: The Picture of Compatibility

While the JPEG committee was hard at work developing the compression piece of the upcoming JPEG 2000 standard, little work had been done to create file-format-related technologies such as binary container, metadata and colorspace specification.

Enter I3A. In August 1998, a working group was created within I3A to propose file format technology for use within the JPEG 2000 standard. The resulting file format proposal was presented to the JPEG committee in November 1998.

With the help of I3A, Part 1 of the JPEG 2000 standard achieved Final Draft International Standard status in August 2000. This standard included a next-generation, full-featured compression algorithm combined with an optional file format. That file format broke new ground with respect to other formats, by specifying how images can be used accurately and appropriately across a wide range of applications.

Since the completion of Part 1, the ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29 committee has focused its efforts on extensions to the standard. As part of this work, I3A evangelized the results of the DIG35 Metadata Initiative Group to the JPEG committee. Eleven extensions have been published, ranging from improvements in the compression technology to metadata definitions to new color specification methods, security and support for wireless applications.

More information about JPEG 2000 can be found at http://www.jpeg.org/JPEG2000.htm.