Fraunhofer develops JPEG XS video standard for professional production
Researchers at Fraunhofer IIS have developed JPEG XS, a new video compression format designed to improve professional video production with high-quality, low-latency image transfer.
Fraunhofer IIS researchers have developed JPEG XS, a new video compression format aimed at enhancing professional video production. This standard addresses limitations of existing codecs, such as latency, quality degradation, and high computational demands.
The JPEG XS format enables the transmission of high-quality images with minimal latency, low resource consumption, and near-lossless quality. This advancement was recognized with the 2025 Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize awarded to the research team.
Traditionally, high-quality professional video relied on uncompressed transmission via specialized interfaces like SDI, leading to large data volumes and complex workflows. JPEG XS, designed as a "mezzanine" codec, allows for the efficient transfer of up to 8K video in production quality over standard IP networks, significantly speeding up encoding and decoding processes.
The codec's low latency and high parallelizability make it suitable for real-time video signal processing. It supports color depths from 12 to 16 bits per component, accommodating high dynamic range signals. Fraunhofer IIS has established JPEG XS as an international ISO standard, facilitating integration into existing computer systems for high-resolution image transfer via cost-effective Ethernet interfaces without noticeable delay.