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Image MIME Reference
CGM

Computer Graphics Metafile

image/cgm
VS

JPEG XS Image Sequence (HEIF Container)

image/jxss
JPEG-XS-Sequence

A complete technical comparison of Computer Graphics Metafile and JPEG XS Image Sequence (HEIF Container) — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

Equal browser support

Feature Support

Feature CGM JPEG-XS-Sequence
Transparency (Alpha) Yes Yes
Animation Support ✕ No Yes
Progressive Loading ✕ No ✕ No
HDR Support ✕ No Yes
EXIF Metadata ✕ No Yes
ICC Color Profile Yes Yes
Computer Graphics Metafile
image/cgm
Extension
.cgm
Container CGM
Compression Uncompressed / Binary / Character / Clear Text
Algorithm
Deflate (in some WebCGM profiles)
Color Depth 8-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit
Developed by ISO / IEC
Released 1987
Magic Bytes
00 20 (Binary) / 42 45 47 49 4E 20 4D 45 54 41 46 49 4C 45 (Clear Text)
Full CGM reference →
JPEG XS Image Sequence (HEIF Container)
image/jxss
Extension
.jxss.jxs
Container HEIF / ISOBMFF (ISO/IEC 23008-12)
Compression Lossy (Visually Lossless) / Mathematically Lossless
Algorithm
JPEG XS (ISO/IEC 21122-1)
Color Depth 8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit, 14-bit, 16-bit
Developed by Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)
Released 2019
Magic Bytes
XX XX XX XX 66 74 79 70 6A 78 73 73
Full JPEG-XS-Sequence reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser CGM JPEG-XS-Sequence
Chrome Chrome
✕ ✕
Firefox Firefox
✕ ✕
Safari Safari
✕ ✕
Edge Edge
✕ ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕ ✕
CGM

CGM Strengths

  • Strictly standardized by ISO, ensuring long-term archiving and cross-platform compatibility in engineering
  • Excellent support for rich metadata, hyperlinks, and technical hotspots via the WebCGM profile
  • Can store complex 2D geometry, rasters, and text in a single lightweight file
Limitations
  • Multiple encoding schemes (Binary, Character, Clear Text) make parser development difficult
  • Zero native support in modern web browsers without third-party plugins
  • Largely replaced by SVG for general-purpose 2D vector graphics on the web
JPEG-XS-Sequence

JPEG-XS-Sequence Strengths

  • Provides sub-millisecond encoding and decoding latency across a video sequence while retaining visually lossless quality
  • Leverages the robust ISOBMFF track structures for accurate frame timing, audio synchronization, and metadata handling
  • Optimized for professional video production and IP broadcasting workflows
Limitations
  • Zero web browser compatibility, limiting its use entirely to professional and industrial hardware workflows
  • Compression ratios are significantly lower than consumer video codecs like HEVC or AV1
  • Extremely niche format that requires highly specialized broadcast hardware or custom software libraries to process

When to choose which format

CGM
Use CGM when…
  • Technical Illustrations
  • Aerospace & Defense (S1000D)
  • CAD/CAM
  • Geophysics
JPEG-XS-Sequence
Use JPEG-XS-Sequence when…
  • Live Broadcast Video Snippets
  • Medical Imaging Sequences
  • HDR Burst Photography Archiving
  • Automotive & Drone Video Storage

More comparisons

CGM vs ACES → JPEG-XS-Sequence vs ACES → CGM vs APNG → JPEG-XS-Sequence vs APNG → CGM vs AVCI → JPEG-XS-Sequence vs AVCI → CGM vs AVCS → JPEG-XS-Sequence vs AVCS → CGM vs AVIF → JPEG-XS-Sequence vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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