Are you a designer or developer looking to save a media file without losing any of its original value? Then you must know that such file formats can cost you up to several GB of data. But on the plus side, your file won’t lose any of its originality. So, if you are looking for something like that, then you have arrived at the right place. In this article, we will discuss which file format requires a lot of memory.
Which file format requires a lot of memory?
Have you ever wondered why that AVI video file on your computer that stores a 30-minute-long episode of your favorite sitcom takes up to several GB of your disk space?
This is because AVI is one of those file formats that maintains high fidelity of video, images, and audio. These types of files are called Lossless file formats, and they require a lot of memory. Although some people don’t believe AVI is lossless, it is the closest to lossless files used for videos.
Some of the common examples of lossless file formats are:
For images: RAW, BMP, PNG, and TIFF.
For Audio: WAV and FLAC
For Video: H.264 lossless, H.265 lossless, Motion JPEG Lossless, Apple Animation Quicktime RLE, and Autodesk Animator Codec
Now to understand this format better, we need to look at the Lossy compressed format, which is opposite to everything a lossless format stands for. This will give us a better idea of how Lossless works and why it takes a lot of memory as well.
Lossy file format or Lossy compression
We all are surrounded by Lossy file formats or compressions. From an MP3 to MP4 and even JPEG, everything is an example of a Lossy file. But what does a lossy file actually mean?
A Lossy file format or a Lossy compression is a format that uses compression to reduce the size of your favorite file.
Now, obviously, in the process of doing so, that file loses some of its original qualities. But the good thing about these formats is that they make the file accessible to others.
When a huge audio file is converted into MP3, it might lose a bit of its originality. But they retain enough goodness for you to enjoy it and share it with your friends and families.
There are other features that Lossy compression has on offer like:
1. Bandwidth-efficiency: This feature allows a file to be streamed across various services and online portals, helping it reach a broader audience on the internet.
2. Compatibility: Lossy format is the reason why everyone on different devices can enjoy their favorite format of media. The compression makes it compatible with other devices.
What is Lossless File Format? Why do they require a lot of memory?
The very name of the Lossless file format gives away its function. It is known to be a format that saves or allows for digital information to be stored without losing any of its original quality.
Original Quality has a lot of perks, especially in the multimedia industry, which offers many shades. Hence it becomes essential for the following reasons:
- To ensure that the information stored or recorded is the exact replica of the source. This is necessary, particularly for video, audio, and images. As we all know, the degradation in quality sometimes results in loss of details like resolution and clarity.
- Also, preserving the original quality is vital for professional production and editing purposes. Professionals during post production like to retain and maintain as much original quality as possible.
This should already give you an idea of why the Lossless format takes up larger memory space. Since the data is not compressed and stored in its original form, there is no limitation on its size.
Above that, the larger data is also caused by the different mathematical algorithms used in this file format.
In other words, the large size can be seen as a tradeoff for the preservation and availability of the original quality of the data, which is definitely more valuable than attaching another hard drive on your computer.
Conclusion:
Saving files in their original format can be a hassle, given how much space they can consume on your drive. But you should look at the plus side of saving lossless files; they give you unlimited access to some bright quality content for future use.
We hope that you have now understood the difference between Lossy compression and Lossless file format and fully comprehend which file format requires a lot of memory.
FAQs:
Why do lossless file formats take up so much memory space?
The reason behind lossless file formats taking so much memory is the fact that they save and store all your data in the original format.
When data is stored in its original form without any alteration, it takes up much space, resulting in larger files that take up memory space.
What are the disadvantages of Lossless files?
Apart from the large file, one major disadvantage is that these formats are only supported on some systems.
For example, an MP3 or MP4 may be supported across Windows and Macintosh devices. Still, a WAV or even AVI file will not open in native software. And it will require you to use different file readers.
