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Microsoft Brings Native HEIF Support to Windows 10 (thurrott.com)

Posted by msmash on from the up-next dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: Microsoft is bringing support for the new HEIF image format to Windows 10. First popularized by Apple with iOS 11, HEIF is a new image format that uses less storage space while preserving image quality. The new image format is used by default on Apple's iPhone X and other devices running iOS 11. While Microsoft's online services like OneDrive already supported HEIF since the release of iOS 11, Windows 10 didn't natively support the new format as of yet. But with the upcoming Redstone 4 update -- possibly called the Spring Creators Update -- the Microsoft Photos app in Windows 10 will support HEIF by default. Further reading: CNET.

11 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. Great! Now let's work on Native PDF Support by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2, Insightful

    WTF is wrong with Microsoft that I can attempt to open a PDF in MS Server 2014, and it STILL can't handle it natively?!?

    Are they waiting to see if PDF will "take off"? Are they waiting to see if their "PDF-Killer" XPS will win-out (hint: It won't). Or what?!?

    What morons.

    1. Re: Great! Now let's work on Native PDF Support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      I think you're first issue is that you're trying to use a version of Server that doesn't exist.

    2. Re: Great! Now let's work on Native PDF Support by UnknowingFool · · Score: 2

      [sarcasm]Heaven forbid someone should open and read a PDF document on a server. I mean it's not like everyone uses that format being so obscure. Every installation manual I've used in the last several years was in binary in .txt files.[/sarcasm]

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    3. Re:Great! Now let's work on Native PDF Support by Voyager529 · · Score: 4, Informative

      WTF is wrong with Microsoft that I can attempt to open a PDF in MS Server 2014, and it STILL can't handle it natively?!?

      Are they waiting to see if PDF will "take off"? Are they waiting to see if their "PDF-Killer" XPS will win-out (hint: It won't). Or what?!?

      What morons.

      Microsoft ships Win10 with a "print to PDF" option out of the box.

      Also, they natively open PDFs in Edge, to the point of restoring the file association with every major upgrade.

      So, you got exactly what you wanted, in the exact Microsoft way of handling such a situation. I hope you're happy.

  2. MPEG by ELCouz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Great ... just what we need another patent minefield image format.

    1. Re:MPEG by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      The HEIF image format uses the HEVC video codec to encode an image. The fact that HEVC is a patent encumbered mess has been discussed on /. before, so I won't go into that.

      Apparently some people are trying to see if AV1 can be used in the same way patent-encumbered HEVC is used here, too. If that happens, this is a solution in search of a problem, because AV1 is supposed to be as good or better than the HEVC codec, without the patents.

      I hope HEVC never gets a foothold, but instead fades into obsolesence. The greed of a few has, thankfully, nearly killed the HEVC codec[1], but this could unfortunately cause HEVC to come back.

      [1] - For HEVC, unlike its predecessor AVC, there are actually multiple patent pools and independent companies you will have to negotiate with for a license. Because of this, some corporations have decided they don't have to deal with this licensing extortion idiocy, and have banded together to make the AV1 codec, and are sticking with patent-free VP9 right now. Unlike AVC, uptake of HEVC has been very slow and it doesn't see very much use.

  3. Patent encumbered, of course by l2718 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why am I not surprised to discover that both the container for format (HEIF) Anna the codec (HVEC) are extensively covered by patents? This is the GIF story again, except this time done deliberately by Apple and Microsoft.

  4. Re:In this case, I agree with Microsoft by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 3, Informative

    The basic PDF format is secure, it's only data. That's what OS X/macOS/iOS supports.

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  5. Why HEIF matters. by Comboman · · Score: 2

    It has slightly better image quality than JPG for the same file size, but the main benefit is that it allows multiple photos in a single file. This can either be a very short movie (Apple calls it Live Photo on the iPhone) or the same photo in multiple exposures or focal lengths (I believe photographers call this "bracketing") allowing you to fix a bad photo after the fact or do other creative things.

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  6. Re:Damned if you do, damned if you don't by squiggleslash · · Score: 2

    It is built into their desktop OS (Edge opens PDF files by default.)

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    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  7. Re:In this case, I agree with Microsoft by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2

    Regardless of what you use, it can only minimize your attack surface -- not eliminate it. What if there's a bug in Rust? Rust itself doesn't mitigate certain bugs like granting too much permission to a database.

    On a server, you want the minimum components you need to run whatever's being served.

    Until you're trying to troubleshoot something, and the only help you can find is in a PDF.