JPEG 2000 files.

What is a JPEG 2000 file?

The JPEG 2000 name comes from the Joint Photographic Experts Group, which launched the file format as an update to JPEGs at the turn of this century. Like regular JPEGs, JPEG 2000s are also pixel-based raster files.

Compared to JPEGs, JPEG 2000 files perform better and produce sharper, deeper and more detailed images. That’s because JPEG 2000 users can save their images in a lossless format, meaning that the file loses very little image data during compression. JPEG 2000s also support a higher dynamic range and are less affected by bit errors. The downside is that not all browsers support the JPEG 2000 format. In fact, Safari is the only major browser that provides access to JPEG 2000 files.

The JPEG 2000 uses these file extensions:

• .JP2
• .JPX
• .J2K
• .J2C
• .JPF

Diagnostic imagery.

JPEG 2000 files support a high dynamic range, enhanced resolution and transparency. Medical professionals use them during MRI, X-ray and CT scans.

Digital cinema.

Motion JPEG 2000 adapts JPEG 2000 for video compression. Its dynamic range, high resolution and colour spacing make it a key file format choice for digital cinema. It became the video coding standard in 2004.

Discover more raster file types

Advantages of JPEG 2000 files.

• Flexibility between lossless and lossy compression means users can save their files as RAW images in a shareable file format.
• JPEG 2000 can handle larger file sizes than its predecessor without tiling.
• The JPEG 2000 format is easy to scale, so users can better balance resolutions and file sizes.
• Its bit error resilience gives JPEG 2000 a key advantage over its predecessor, the JPEG.

Disadvantages of JPEG 2000 files.

• Many web browsers and photo-sharing websites don’t support the JPEG 2000 format. JPEG 2000 is rarely used outside of these niche areas.
• There’s no backward compatibility with the original JPEG format, so users need to be able to code in a different standard than what most images use.
• JPEG 2000 codecs use a significant amount of computer memory, which can lead to slow performance and compression times. The file type works best on computers with lots of RAM.