From: "rafael ramirez" <rafael.ramirez@channel1.com>
Newsgroups: comp.compression
Subject: new better than jpeg?
Date: 1 Sep 92 02:23:43 EST
Reply-To: "rafael ramirez" <rafael.ramirez@channel1.com>
Distribution: comp
Organization: Channel 1 Communications

Due to the overwhelming (sp?:) interest in the subject, I'm posting what
little information I have at this moment.

A company called LEAD Technologies, Inc. (8701 Mallard Creek Road
Charlotte, NC  28262 1-800-637-4699 in NC 704-549-5532 Fax 704-548-8161)
is suppossly shipping a number of products, mostly programmers
libraries for PCs, capable of manipulating (rescale, rotate), converting
(TIFF->JFIF, TGA->JPEG-in-TIFF) and compressing (RLE, LZW, JPEG, and a
propietary format) many types of images (8bit-Mapped, 16bits, 24bits,
grey scales).  The twist is that their propietary compression system is
advertised as better than JPEG (smaller sizes and better quality).

The products offered are:   (I believe they are all PC-based)

LEADVIEW - Software only compression, decompression, file format
           conversion, and communication.  Operate from menuing system,
           DOS command line. Retail = $129.00

LEADVIEW for Windows - Software only compression,decompression, file
         format conversion, as well as the ability to flip, rotate, and
         reverse images. Also includes a palette editor. Retail =
         $179.00

LEADVIEW32 (DOS & WINDOWS)
         - The Fastest, Software only, solution on the market, for
           compression, decompression, file format conversion, and image
           processing (flip, rotate, resize, lighten, darken, etc).
           Operate from menuing system, DOS command line or TSR from
           other applications Retail = $495.00

LEADVIEW 255
          - PC/AT add-on board that accelerates the compression and
          decompression process of both LEADVIEW and LEADVIEW for
          Windows. Conducts compression and decompression in real-time
          Retail = $1,495.00   special summer price $995.00

LEADTOOLS  - Real mode DOS Software compression - $995.00 No royalties.
           - Hardware compression via LEADVIEW 255 - FREE with the purchase
             of 2 LEADVIEW 255 boards.
           - Conversion - $249.00 - All conversion and other image
             processing functions are included. (Compression functions not
             included).

LEADTOOLS 386
           - Is software only compression for 386 or higher computers.
             This version of LEADTOOLS will RUN at least 8 to 10 times as
             fast as the current version REAL mode version, and requires a
             386 compiler like (Intel 386/486 Code Builder Kit) or
             (Watcom C). Retall = $ 995.00

LEADTOOLS DLL for Windows
           - Software compression - $995.00   No royalties.
           -  32bit fast Software compression - 995.00
           - Hardware compression via LEADVIEW 255 - FREE
             with purchase of 2 LEADVIEW 255 boards.
           - Conversion - $249.00 - All conversion and
             other image processing functions are included.
             (Compression functions not included).
             Both work with any product that uses DLL's.

LEADTOOLS Custom Control for Visual Basic.
           - Software compression - $399.00   No royalties.

All the above are "marketing comments" compleately UNVERIFIED by me (or
anybody I know).

They distribute a shareware file called JPEG4, which contains several
utilities for PCs already compiled (.exe) and the source code needed to
build them (.c).  The libraries are, of course, NOT there.  But you can
see how the code would work.  The programs, although thought as
"examples" of what the libraries can do, are fully functional file
format utilities capable of doing TGA (8 bit grey scale, 8 bit color
mapped, 16, 24, and 32 bit color), PCX (8 bit grey scale and 8 bit color
mapped), GIF (8 bit grey scale and 8 bit color mapped), TIFF (8 bit grey
scale, 8 bit color mapped, and 24 bit color), BMP Presentation Manager
and Windows 4, 8 bit color mapped, and 24 bit color,  JFIF JPEG File
Interchange Format, JTIF (JPEG-in-TIF) & CMP, LEAD Technologies
proprietary compression file format.  There is also a viewer that deals
with VGA/SVGA/HiColor (15bits/pixel) and Targa (8/16/24/32 bits/pixel)
boards.  All the executables include the .C file with the source.

Well, a first look at the stuff leaves me unimpressed.  While it is VERY
convinient to have functions like:

L_CompressALL        Compress all  supported file formats
L_CompressBMP        Compress a BMP image file format to LEAD, JFIF, or JTIF
L_CompressGIF        Compress a GIF image file format to LEAD, JFIF, or JTIF
L_CompressPCX        Compress a PCX image file format to LEAD, JFIF, or JTIF
L_CompressTarg       Compress the current image in the TARGA or TARGA+ video
L_CompressTGA        Compress a TGA image file format to LEAD, JFIF, or JTIF
L_CompressTIF        Compress a TIFF image file format to LEAD, JFIF, or JTI
L_FileConvert        Convert any supported image file to another supported

etc, the fact that the source code is not available makes the product
very little atractive.  Also, the company must be small, their shareware
concept and typos in the documentation makes them look somewhat
un-professional, so I would do more research before commiting a project
to their libs.

Now the "goodie" ... their propietary compression system.  They don't
mention how it works, but several pointers show that it is a very close
derivative of JPEG (i.e. they use the C-cube based board for split
second compression of both, JPEG and their "LEAD"). Only two people with
some references on it (neither first hand!) have replied and their
opinion seems to match my preliminary one.

The system looks like a "fine-tuned" JPEG derivative that produces
slightly smaller files were some post-processing, I believe, leaves
indeed an image w/o many of the artifacts of JPEG for the same level of
compression (less color contamination, better contrast).  When higher
compression ratios are used, JPEG-like artifacts start to show (blocking
being the worst offender). The system performs like JPEG for gray-scale
and better in color (smaller files, less visible defects).

The software seems to be written in the usual "slow" C code. I.e. a
320x200x24 TGA file took about 10 seconds on a 486/33 (15Mips;) to both,
compress (~40K) and decompress to their default setting ("perfect
quality"). The resulting picture was undistinguishable (sp?) from the
original to my non-expert eye.  I would venture it looked better than
the JPEGed one.  A little slow for my taste. I was using the "normal"
shareware version. They claim to have 386 compiled code that should run
much faster, etc.

Well, more information when I get it.  This stuff is VERY preliminary
and should be taken lighty ...

Conclusion:  it might be worth it to look some more into it ...

 * SLMR 2.1a * Rafael.Ramirez@channel1.com from SPAIN! (A.K.A. RRC)
--
Channel 1 (R)   Cambridge, MA

Newsgroups: comp.compression