JPEG 2000 is sure to be the next standard for image compression. It offers numerous benefits over current compression methods, including the ability to do both lossless and lossy compression, the ability to obtain higher image quality and higher compression ratios, and the ability to view the same file at multiple resolutions. It also allows one area of the image to be examined more closely using its region of interest capability.
JPEG 2000 uses wavelet technology to compress images, and this result in images being compressed more efficiently and with less introduced error than previous methods.
Currently, JPEG 2000 uses one wavelet for lossy compression and another wavelet for lossless compression, but in the future other wavelets may be used as the need arises. There are many applications where JPEG 2000 can be used, including the Internet, medical imaging, and digital photography. Overall, JPEG 2000 is a huge upgrade over current compression methods and looks to be the next image compression standard in the near future
, JPEG 2000 can put bandwidth conservation decisions directly into the hands of the users. Even if the user decides to progress all the way from low resolution to high resolution versions of the same image, the cumulative bandwidth consumption is much higher for downloading multiple JPEG images vs. progressively downloading a wavelet-based JPEG 2000 image.
JPEG2000: Image Compression Fundamentals, Standards and Practice (The International Series in Engineering and Computer Science)
Another application of JPEG 2000 is in the medical field. Medical images are used in a variety of ways; usually, pictures are taken of some part of a patient’s body to determine if something is wrong with the patient.
Because detail is very important in medical imagery, retaining images that are of a high quality is always a concern. Thus, JPEG 2000’s lossless ability to store pictures will be a great advantage.
Also, doctors frequently want to examine a certain area of an image in more detail; JPEG 2000 allows for this easily using its region of interest capabilities. A doctor will be able to view the entire image at a given resolution, zoom in on certain parts of the image, and display the image at a satisfactory resolution. Thus will undoubtedly enable doctors to be able to observe abnormalities in the image more quickly, and may result in some ailments such as cancer being detected more easily.
Yet another application of JPEG 2000 is in digital photography. Digital photographs are stored as images, and in order to be able to store many of these images at a time, they must be compressed.
