Patent ID: 7319480

Claim:
A method for producing a motion video image file from a motion image sequence, comprising the steps of: a) providing a first target data rate for a first image frame of the motion image sequence; b) compressing the first image frame using intraframe coding at the first target data rate, and storing the compressed first image frame, as a first intracoded frame of a compressed version of the motion image sequence, in a motion video image file; c) providing a second target data rate for intraframe coding of one or more subsequent image frames of the motion image sequence, the second target data rate being lower than the first target data rate; d) compressing the one or more subsequent image frames of the motion image sequence using intraframe coding at the second target data rate; e) storing the compressed one or more subsequent image frames, as one or more subsequent intracoded frames of the compressed version of the motion image sequence, in the motion video image file; f) decompressing the compressed first image frame; and g) using the decompressed first image frame to provide a still image representative of the motion video image file; wherein upon selection of the motion video image file for playback, the compressed first and subsequent image frames are decompressed and utilized to provide playback of the respective first and subsequent image frames of the motion image sequence.