Image MIME Reference
ACES
ACES Image Container File
image/aces
VS
High-Throughput JPEG 2000 Image
image/jph
HTJ2K-(JPH)
A complete technical comparison of ACES Image Container File and High-Throughput JPEG 2000 Image — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
Equal browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | ACES | HTJ2K-(JPH) |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | Yes | Yes |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | Yes |
| HDR Support | Yes | Yes |
| EXIF Metadata | ✕ No | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | ✕ No | Yes |
ACES Image Container File
image/aces
Extension
.exr
Container
OpenEXR (SMPTE ST 2065-4)
Compression
Lossless / Uncompressed
Algorithm
PIZZIPRLEB44Uncompressed
Color Depth
16-bit (Half-float), 32-bit (Float)
Developed by
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) / SMPTE
Released
2013
Magic Bytes
76 2F 31 01
High-Throughput JPEG 2000 Image
image/jph
Extension
.jph
Container
JPH (ISO/IEC 15444-15)
Compression
Lossy / Lossless
Algorithm
High-Throughput JPEG 2000 (HTJ2K)
Color Depth
8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 38-bit
Developed by
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)
Released
2019
Magic Bytes
00 00 00 0C 6A 50 20 20 0D 0A 87 0A ... 66 74 79 70 6A 70 68 20
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | ACES | HTJ2K-(JPH) |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ | ✕ |
Firefox
|
✕ | ✕ |
Safari
|
✕ | ✕ |
Edge
|
✕ | ✕ |
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ | ✕ |
ACES
ACES Strengths
- Industry standard for high-end visual effects, compositing, and color grading
- Supports 16-bit half-float data, accurately capturing immense dynamic range without clipping
- Standardized by SMPTE (ST 2065-4) to guarantee universal color interoperability across different post-production facilities
Limitations
- Considerably larger file sizes than conventional consumer image formats
- Completely unsupported in web browsers and most standard desktop viewers
- Requires specialized compositing or color grading software to interpret and view the scene-linear data correctly
HTJ2K-(JPH)
HTJ2K-(JPH) Strengths
- Delivers orders of magnitude faster encoding and decoding than standard JPEG 2000 by utilizing a new, parallelizable block coder
- Supports mathematically lossless and lossy compression within the same codestream architecture
- Allows for resolution scalability, progressive decoding, and region-of-interest extraction without needing to decode the entire image
Limitations
- Zero native web browser support, requiring specialized libraries, API conversions, or WebAssembly (like OpenJPH.js) for web deployment
- Lack of broad consumer awareness, keeping it confined to professional, medical, and scientific workflows
- Requires more advanced software ecosystems to decode than ubiquitous formats like JPEG or WebP
When to choose which format
ACES
Use ACES when…
- Visual Effects (VFX)
- Digital Intermediate (DI)
- Color Grading
- Archival
HTJ2K-(JPH)
Use HTJ2K-(JPH) when…
- Medical Imaging (DICOM)
- Geospatial Data
- Digital Cinema
- Professional Archiving