Imgur's new GIF file format offers much higher quality images at smaller file sizes

[Justin Kahn]

Image hosting site Imgur has decided the old GIF format for animated images just isn’t cutting it anymore. In a site-wide update, Imgur is now converting animated GIF uploads into what it calls GIFV. The new tech essentially takes standard GIFs an then converts them into a form of MP4 video.

This means the service can accept much larger and higher quality GIFs. Normally limited to 5MB, users can now upload GIFs as big as 50MB. As you can see in these comparison shots, the 50MB version is of much higher quality than the standard 5MB image.

Imgur says its just trying to upgrade a technology introduced in 1989, attempting to keep the same experience intact just with a modern approach. Not only are the GIFVs of much higher quality, but they also offer even smaller file sizes. GIFVs still auto play as you would expect and even play at the proper speed while loading, unlike a standard GIF. 

The new moving images should also help performance on mobile applications and because they are essentially small videos now, will work on social networks like Twitter. Imgur says more is to come with GIF development and that it is currently submitting its new GIFV format to standards groups in hopes of wider adoption.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/58379-imgur-gifv-mp4-format.html

 

[Uncle Al]

WOW .... talk about long over due and VERY WELCOME .... now lets just hope the general community will adopt and adapt to it.

 

[VitalyT]

I don't expect it to catch any thrust, given how old MP4 is. They should have used x265 instead for better quality and compression. By the time it spreads, any mobile phone will be able to play x265, since even Snapdragon 805 has it embedded.

However, it's all irrelevant. GIF-s were invented back then because:

1. No digital video standard existed;
2. Playing video would put too much load on those old PC-s.
3. Creating a GIF is simpler and faster than a video

Top 2 sentiments are no longer applicable, and item 3 is now questionable, thus all making GIF irrelevant.

 

[Bannhammer]

Is this any different than .webm ?

 

[VitalyT]

Is this any different than .webm ?

Nothing in common.

 

[yRaz]

Is this any different than .webm ?

Nothing in common.

I think he mentioned webm because it has been filling the gap that gifv aims to fill. Not only is gifv unnecessary, it has been unnecessary for a fairly long time.

It's all the sjw's on tumblr, I bet they think their new image format will improve equality or something.

 

[Jason Scott]

I don't expect it to catch any thrust, given how old MP4 is. They should have used x265 instead for better quality and compression. By the time it spreads, any mobile phone will be able to play x265, since even Snapdragon 805 has it embedded.

However, it's all irrelevant. GIF-s were invented back then because:

1. No digital video standard existed;
2. Playing video would put too much load on those old PC-s.
3. Creating a GIF is simpler and faster than a video

Top 2 sentiments are no longer applicable, and item 3 is now questionable, thus all making GIF irrelevant.

You're messing up your terms. MP4 is just a file container and can hold a couple of different video and audio standards. x265 is one of many codecs for the H.265 standard, all of which need to use the standard H.265 decoder, no matter the codec.

So Imgur should not use the most popular, compatible, and refined H.264 standard (MP4 can hold H.264), and instead use H.265 which is was standardize ~18 months ago and is barely compatible with anything besides VLC. Also in my recent tests, x265 is horrible at maintaining fine detail, it still has a ways to go.

Is this any different than .webm ?

Nothing in common.

Are you kidding...... 4chan supports the webm container when it is holding VP8 video without audio. I assume that when Imgur supports MP4 that they really mean MP4 with H.264 video, which is the main rival to VP8 video compression.

So yes this is different than Webm, but to say "nothing in common" is grossly misleading considering they are rivals and use many of the same technologies to compress video.

Is this any different than .webm ?

Nothing in common.

I think he mentioned webm because it has been filling the gap that gifv aims to fill. Not only is gifv unnecessary, it has been unnecessary for a fairly long time.

It's all the sjw's on tumblr, I bet they think their new image format will improve equality or something.

>Ignoring that H.264 offers better image quality and smaller file sizes than VP8.
>Implying Imgur and Tumblr are the same thing.

 

[yRaz]

>Ignoring that H.264 offers better image quality and smaller file sizes than VP8.
>Implying Imgur and Tumblr are the same thing.

I honestly read it as Tumblr, my mistake

 

[Jason Scott]

>Ignoring that H.264 offers better image quality and smaller file sizes than VP8.
>Implying Imgur and Tumblr are the same thing.

I honestly read it as Tumblr, my mistake

I do that too

 

[JohnCB]

Isn't this exactly what Gfycat has been doing for over a year now?

 

[Jad Chaar]

WOW .... talk about long over due and VERY WELCOME .... now lets just hope the general community will adopt and adapt to it.

Yeah it is way overdue.

Isn't this exactly what Gfycat has been doing for over a year now?

Yeah it is. But now Imgur, a huge ecosystem, has also adopted it.

 

[Phr3d]

Does this get us Any closer to making flash irrelevant?