Microsoft has released an HD Photo plug in for Adobe Photoshop CS2 or CS3 running on Mac OS X v10.4. The plug-in is being offered as a beta version; it will expire on December 31, 2007.
HD Photo — once known as Windows Media Photo — was introduced by Microsoft to the public at large with the release of Windows Vista. Microsoft claims the format offers better image fidelity than JPEG, higher image compression efficiency and more flexible editing features. The company has even gone so far to submit the format’s specifications to the Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG) for consideration as a new standard Microsoft calls “JPEG XR.”
This beta plug-in enables those versions of Photoshop to support HD Photo images. “This release includes all the features and user interface changes for the final release, including the installer. The HD Photo plug-in supports a wide range of pixel formats (including high dynamic range, wide gamut formats) and numerous advanced HD Photo features,” reads the Web page for download.