Apple tests Google's WebP for accelerated image loads in Safari
Apple is testing support for Google's WebP image format in the beta Safari code for iOS 10 and macOS Sierra, something that could potentially speed up page loads.
Compatibility is preliminary, and could still be stripped out of the final versions of both operating systems, CNET noted on Tuesday. In fact Apple's implementation currently doesn't support animated WebP files, which the format otherwise allows.
WebP offers even tighter compression than JPEG, which can not only speed up load times where it's used but reduce data consumption on capped internet plans.
At the moment, however, it's only supported by Google Chrome and browsers based on it, such as Opera and Vivaldi. Google claims that using WebP thumbnails on YouTube speeds up page loads by 10 percent.
Both Mozilla and Microsoft have so far declined to support WebP, leaving most Web developers little reason to adopt it either. Having Apple on board might alter the situation, given Safari's significant share when spread across iOS and Mac.
Both iOS 10 and macOS Sierra are officially due to arrive in the fall, but betas have been available to developers since June, and the public since early July.
Compatibility is preliminary, and could still be stripped out of the final versions of both operating systems, CNET noted on Tuesday. In fact Apple's implementation currently doesn't support animated WebP files, which the format otherwise allows.
WebP offers even tighter compression than JPEG, which can not only speed up load times where it's used but reduce data consumption on capped internet plans.
At the moment, however, it's only supported by Google Chrome and browsers based on it, such as Opera and Vivaldi. Google claims that using WebP thumbnails on YouTube speeds up page loads by 10 percent.
Both Mozilla and Microsoft have so far declined to support WebP, leaving most Web developers little reason to adopt it either. Having Apple on board might alter the situation, given Safari's significant share when spread across iOS and Mac.
Both iOS 10 and macOS Sierra are officially due to arrive in the fall, but betas have been available to developers since June, and the public since early July.
Comments
edit: Done. Unimpressed with the current state of webp.
P.S I love HEVC and dislike all the VPx based tech ( Which is what WebP is ) - but the rate for HEVC patents is just ridiculously high.
I love the people downvoting me for hating Google. What is this, MacRumors? Or are they just sore-ended from my other statements they can’t refute?
Um... HEVC is h.265 video compression the next gen after h.264 but it pretty much requires hardware acceleration support and it might only be useful for things like 4K Ultra HD video compression. Apple is not yet supporting 4K video files. My guess is they are waiting on things to mature a bit more and eventually they will have little choice. Not so sure there are patent issues with h.265 as many open source tools support it from Handbrake, VLC, FFMPEG, etc. I think it has to do more with iOS hardware not capable of decompressing h.265 but that could change in a few short years. There's not a heck of a lot of 4K content out there except maybe Netflix and a few other sources. When 4K gets more popular, Apple will no doubt support it. Unless something else comes a long to beat h.265. Remember Apple TV was 720 only at first.
WebP is a photo file format not video.
WebP = Jpeg equivalent with better compression
PNG = GIF with no licensing and slightly better compression supporting alpha transparencies
I know WebP is an image file Format. Let me also point out WebP is based on VP8. It is basically the key frame of an VP8. And VP8 is 6-8 years old. Based on the old On2 technologies before it was acquired by Google. Their marketing, possibly still working inside Google, is pretty much like the good old video codec ( Windows Media, Real Network, Divx etc ) era and likes to point out inflated quality numbers. Suggesting VP8 gives similar or better quality then H.264 encoder. ( Which is not true )
BSD License has nothing to do with patents. While Google does give patents grant to WebP users, it does not necessarily means it will protect its users from other form of patents. Of coz, such thing will highly unlikely to happen given its length of time on market.
WebP, also does not gives much better quality then the best Jpeg encoder. As proved by many professionals and Mozilla's own testing. I.e For a new format that needs supporting, its benefits is rather underwhelming.
BPG, is a image file format based on HEVC. That gives much better file compression, especially the small file size ( Web ) end spectrum. There is also a free Javascript "Decoder".
HEVC works great at 4K, and low bitrate. So any 4K content gets massive benefits from HEVC higher 64x64 microblocks compared to AVC 16x16. It also provides much better quality at low end sub 2Mbps bitrate.
The patents issues was because there are now 3 separate entity to collect fees for its patents, good old MPEG-LA, the new HEVC Advance Group, and single out Techicolour. If we ignore Techicolour, it is still 75M maximum per company per year, compared to 5M per year with H.264 AVC. If you assume 20 companies in the world reaches that maximum payment, that is 1.5Billion PER year, and up to 10+ Years. We are talking about a potential of 15+ Billion for these patents over its lifetime, and that is assuming HEVC gets replaced by something else in 10years time.
It is precisely because of that, Open Media Alliance were formed. To get a decent Video / image file that is free ( price ) in terms of patents. The alliance includes pretty much everyone from the Tech industry, Intel, Google, Facebook, Netflix... etc except Apple and any other Movie / Film industry players.
In counties where patents isn't an issues like China. You see HEVC support in hardware literally everywhere.
Because of the formation of HEVC Advance patents pool last year, Apple pulled any mention of HEVC from the Website. i.e Facetime in iPhone 6 is no longer using HEVC as announced in Apple's Keynote. Plex developers also mentioned A9 had the HEVC hardware decoder built in, but its API was pulled in the last minutes. MPEG-LA demanded only 25M/yr for HEVC. Which is expensive but bearable. HEVC Advance formed and called for something EXTREMELY unreasonable, and later backed down to what they call reasonable 50M/yr. This add up to 75M/yr. Techicolour later dropped out of HEVC Advance Pool and decided to license it themselves.
It is also worth mentioning HEVC Advance Group had a clause that could hike up the price 20% after certain years.