Image MIME Reference
AOL-ART
AOL ART Image
image/x-jg
VS
Kodak Digital Camera Raw
image/x-kodak-dcr
Kodak-DCR
A complete technical comparison of AOL ART Image and Kodak Digital Camera Raw — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
Equal browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | AOL-ART | Kodak-DCR |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | Yes | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | ✕ No | Yes |
| EXIF Metadata | ✕ No | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | ✕ No | Yes |
AOL ART Image
image/x-jg
Extension
.art
Container
Johnson-Grace Proprietary
Compression
Proprietary Wavelet (Photos) / Proprietary Palette-based (Graphics)
Algorithm
Wavelet (similar to early JPEG 2000 concepts)Lossy DCT
Color Depth
8-bit (Indexed), 24-bit (RGB)
Developed by
Johnson-Grace Company (Acquired by AOL)
Released
1994
Magic Bytes
4A 47 03 00 or 4A 47 04 00
Kodak Digital Camera Raw
image/x-kodak-dcr
Extension
.dcr
Container
TIFF/EP
Compression
Uncompressed / Lossless JPEG
Algorithm
NoneLossless JPEG (ITU-T81)
Color Depth
12-bit (Per Channel)
Developed by
Eastman Kodak Company
Released
1998
Magic Bytes
49 49 2A 00 or 4D 4D 00 2A
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | AOL-ART | Kodak-DCR |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ | ✕ |
Firefox
|
✕ | ✕ |
Safari
|
✕ | ✕ |
Edge
|
✕ | ✕ |
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ | ✕ |
AOL-ART
AOL-ART Strengths
- Historically provided massive file size reductions (up to 3x smaller than JPEGs of the era) and highly optimized progressive rendering for 14.4k modems
- Enabled faster web browsing on the AOL network during the early days of the commercial internet
Limitations
- Completely proprietary, heavily patent-encumbered, and never officially reverse-engineered for the open-source community
- On-the-fly proxy compression ruined the visual fidelity of many 1990s websites for AOL users
- Virtually impossible to open on modern operating systems without installing niche, legacy image viewers
Kodak-DCR
Kodak-DCR Strengths
- Preserves the full dynamic range and uncompressed raw sensor data captured by foundational professional digital cameras
- Utilizes the standard TIFF container structure, ensuring that open-source decoders like LibRaw can easily parse and interpret the files long after official vendor support has ended
Limitations
- Completely obsolete proprietary format tied to camera hardware that is no longer manufactured
- Shares the TIFF magic header, leading to widespread misidentification by automated MIME detection libraries
- Cannot be natively viewed in web browsers or standard operating system image viewers without specialized codecs
When to choose which format
AOL-ART
Use AOL-ART when…
- Historical AOL Dial-up Web Browsing
- Legacy America Online Client Assets
- 1990s Internet Archival
Kodak-DCR
Use Kodak-DCR when…
- Vintage Professional Digital Photography (Kodak DCS series)
- Non-destructive Image Post-Processing
- Raw Imaging Archival