Question What is this .avif image format that no image viewer or editor can open ?

[Dimitri001]

(I'm putting this in this forum because this is more of a rant than a request for help, if the moderators thinks it should go elsewhere, do go ahead and move it.)

Can someone please explain to me why websites suddenly seem to be using this .avif image format that not even Irfanview, which can open anything, can open? What's wrong with .jpeg or some other normal format that normal image software can open?

I feel the same about the .webp format that came in some time ago. Again, why? Can someone explain? Why did .jpeg need to be replaced by this format that seems to be more readily recognized and opened by web browsers than image software?

It's all so frustrating and annoying.

 

[TerryLaze]

Because smaller file size, and smaller file size means less money they have to pay for bandwidth, you might think that webpages just exist, but they do have to pay a lot of money for them to be accessible, and that money depends on how big the total size of the page is and how much data is getting accessed/downloaded from it.

 

[kerberos_20]

its heif container and AV1 encryption...heif container should be supported acros many image viewers, for av1 you gonna need proper codec

btw irfanview supports avif

IrfanView AVIF support | avif.io

IrfanView is an image viewer, editor, organiser and converter. Find out how you can use AVIF images in IrfanView.

avif.io

 

[kerberos_20]

as for why not jpeg but better compression format?
size doesnt really matter, picture quality does
at same size here you can compare jpeg with avif

jpeg is blocky (low quality)