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Image MIME Reference
HEIC-Sequence

HEVC Image Sequence (HEIF Container)

image/heic-sequence
VS

JPEG XR Image Sequence (HEIF Container)

image/jxrs
JPEG-XR-Sequence

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

HEIC-Sequence wins on browser support

Feature Support

Feature HEIC-Sequence JPEG-XR-Sequence
Transparency (Alpha) Yes Yes
Animation Support Yes Yes
Progressive Loading ✕ No Yes
HDR Support Yes Yes
EXIF Metadata Yes Yes
ICC Color Profile Yes Yes
HEVC Image Sequence (HEIF Container)
image/heic-sequence
Extension
.heics.heic
Container HEIF / ISOBMFF (ISO/IEC 14496-12)
Compression Lossy / Lossless
Algorithm
HEVC (H.265)
Color Depth 8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit, 16-bit
Developed by Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) / Apple
Released 2017
Magic Bytes
XX XX XX XX 66 74 79 70 68 65 76 63
Full HEIC-Sequence reference →
JPEG XR Image Sequence (HEIF Container)
image/jxrs
Extension
.jxrs
Container HEIF / ISOBMFF (ISO/IEC 23008-12 / Annex F of ITU-T T.832)
Compression Lossy / Lossless
Algorithm
JPEG XR (Lapped Biorthogonal Transform)
Color Depth 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit (Float)
Developed by ISO/IEC JTC 1 / ITU-T
Released 2019
Magic Bytes
XX XX XX XX 66 74 79 70 6A 78 72 53
Full JPEG-XR-Sequence reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser HEIC-Sequence JPEG-XR-Sequence
Chrome Chrome
✕ ✕
Firefox Firefox
✕ ✕
Safari Safari
✓ 11+
 ✕
Edge Edge
✕ ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕ ✕
HEIC-Sequence

HEIC-Sequence Strengths

  • Incredibly efficient storage for bursts and short animations compared to GIF or motion JPEG
  • Supports 16-bit color, HDR, and alpha channel transparency across all frames
  • Shares frame data blocks, meaning the base image and animation data are heavily optimized for space
Limitations
  • Zero support in web browsers outside the Apple ecosystem (Chrome, Firefox, Edge do not support it)
  • Heavily encumbered by HEVC patent pools, hindering open-source adoption
  • Complex container structure makes parsing and decoding difficult without specialized libraries
JPEG-XR-Sequence

JPEG-XR-Sequence Strengths

  • Supports 32-bit floating point HDR color depths natively across an entire animation sequence
  • Combines the advanced coding efficiencies of JPEG XR with the sequence timing and metadata framework of HEIF
  • Shares frame data structures allowing for optimized storage of burst photography
Limitations
  • Extremely rare format with essentially no mainstream software adoption
  • Zero web browser support
  • Overshadowed heavily by HEVC (HEIC sequences) and AV1 (AVIF sequences) which offer superior compression and broader hardware decoding support

When to choose which format

HEIC-Sequence
Use HEIC-Sequence when…
  • Apple Live Photos
  • Burst Photography
  • High-Quality Animations
  • Cinemagraphs
JPEG-XR-Sequence
Use JPEG-XR-Sequence when…
  • Experimental Animation Workflows
  • HDR Burst Photography Archiving
  • Specialized Medical & Scientific Imaging

More comparisons

HEIC-Sequence vs ACES → JPEG-XR-Sequence vs ACES → HEIC-Sequence vs APNG → JPEG-XR-Sequence vs APNG → HEIC-Sequence vs AVCI → JPEG-XR-Sequence vs AVCI → HEIC-Sequence vs AVCS → JPEG-XR-Sequence vs AVCS → HEIC-Sequence vs AVIF → JPEG-XR-Sequence vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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