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Google Releases New Image Format Called WebP

Posted by Soulskill on from the pixelating-the-web dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Google has released WebP, a lossy image format based on the image encoding used by VP8 (the video codec used in Google's WebM video format) to compress keyframes. According to the FAQ, WebP achieves an average 39% more compression than JPEG and JPEG 2000 while maintaining image quality. A gallery on the WebP homepage has a selection of images which compare the original JPEG image with the WebP encoded image shown as a PNG. There's no information available yet on which browsers will support the WebP image format, but I imagine it will be all the browsers which currently have native WebM support — Firefox, Chrome, and Opera." Independent analysis of WebP is available from a few different sources.

4 of 378 comments (clear)

  1. Lenna image not shown?????? by AbbeyRoad · · Score: 0, Troll

    The first and foremost image comparison should be the Lenna image.

    No Lenna, no approval.

    Lenna forever. Long live Lenna. I am lossless without thee.

    Lenna, you make my pixels huffman.

    Lenna you transform my fft.

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    1. Re:Lenna image not shown?????? by Rogerborg · · Score: 0, Troll

      Famous classic images such as Lena, the Baboon, etc., often used when doing compression comparisons, are unfortunately not free of copyright.

      ORLY? Then Google have very... selective... ethics when it comes to obtaining permission prior to copying content, don't they?

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    2. Re:Lenna image not shown?????? by Rogerborg · · Score: 0, Troll

      Counterpoint: You're precious, but shush now. Growns ups are talking.

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  2. Re:Not as Sharp by commodore64_love · · Score: 0, Troll

    >>>I wouldn't prefer one over the other which means, for me, webp is the winner.

    I honestly don't care, but if I was using your criteria, then I'd choose neither. I'd pick the open source PNG that has become standard over the last ten years.

    BTW how long until JPEG becomes public domain? 2012?

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