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Image MIME Reference
HEIC-Sequence

HEVC Image Sequence (HEIF Container)

image/heic-sequence
VS

Multi-resolution Seamless Image Database

image/x-mrsid-image
MrSID

A complete technical comparison of HEVC Image Sequence (HEIF Container) and Multi-resolution Seamless Image Database — 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 MrSID
Transparency (Alpha) Yes Yes
Animation Support Yes ✕ No
Progressive Loading ✕ No Yes
HDR Support Yes ✕ No
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 →
Multi-resolution Seamless Image Database
image/x-mrsid-image
Extension
.sid
Container Proprietary MrSID Container
Compression Proprietary Wavelet (Lossy) / Proprietary Wavelet (Lossless)
Algorithm
Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT)
Color Depth 8-bit (Grayscale), 24-bit (RGB), Multi-spectral (Multiple bands)
Developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory / LizardTech (Extensis)
Released 1992
Magic Bytes
6D 73 69 64
Full MrSID reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser HEIC-Sequence MrSID
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
MrSID

MrSID Strengths

  • Incredible compression ratios enable multi-gigabyte geographical datasets to be stored on standard hard drives or transmitted easily
  • Multi-resolution architecture means panning and zooming across a massive map is completely fluid, as the system decodes only the visible quadrant at the required zoom level
  • Supports multi-spectral bands critical for remote sensing and agricultural GIS analysis
Limitations
  • Deeply proprietary; creating or decoding MrSID files typically requires expensive commercial software or the proprietary Extensis DSDK
  • Open-source geospatial libraries like GDAL require compiling against the proprietary SDK to legally enable MrSID support, causing licensing headaches for Linux server deployments
  • Not natively viewable on the web without specialized geospatial map servers (like GeoServer or MapServer) tiling the image into PNGs or JPEGs on the fly

When to choose which format

HEIC-Sequence
Use HEIC-Sequence when…
  • Apple Live Photos
  • Burst Photography
  • High-Quality Animations
  • Cinemagraphs
MrSID
Use MrSID when…
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Satellite Imagery Archival
  • Aerial Orthophotography Mosaics

More comparisons

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