Introducing AVIF: A New Image Format on the Block
Imagine compressing an image to a fraction of its original size without losing the vividness of its colors or sharpness of its details. That's the magic offered by AVIF, or AV1 Image File Format, an open and royalty-free image format based on the AV1 video codec. AVIF challenges the widely-used HEIC (High Efficiency Image Format) with its improved compression efficiency and quality, making it an exciting contender in the realm of digital images.
AVIF Advantages: A Picture Worth Keeping
Viewing the Internet through AVIF-colored glasses makes for a more vibrant experience. With better compression rates compared to JPEG, it allows images to load faster, all the while preserving finer details with fewer artifacts and less color bleeding. AVIF supports multiple color spaces, HDR images, and a range of lossless and lossy compression options, ensuring compatibility with diverse hardware capabilities.
Current AVIF Support in Browsers: The Waiting Game
Though Google rapidly adopts new browser features, rivals like Microsoft take a more leisurely approach. Despite being part of the Alliance for Open Media, the team behind developing AV1 and AVIF, Microsoft's Edge still lacks native support for AVIF images. Anticipate this to change soon as technology catches up and the demand for a modern image format grows.
As a present workaround, Edge users can enable experimental AV1 support by downloading a plugin, making YouTube videos available in the new format.
Get the Latest Microsoft Edge: Out with the Old, in with the New
To test the functionality and capabilities of AV1 on Microsoft Edge, you'll want to be using the latest version. The new Microsoft Edge, released in early 2020, sports a sleek, minimalist interface and runs on Chromium.
Plug it in: AV1 Extension for Edge
The AV1 Extension add-on can be found on the Microsoft Store.Providing support for AV1 videos on Windows 10 devices and Edge, this extension grants access to AVIF image previews, thumbnails, and editing in Paint. However, it's worth noting that while avif.io converts images seamlessly in Edge, native AVIF image support is not yet available. Keep an eye out for future updates that will no doubt bring AVIF support to Edge soon!
