14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft delivered HD Photo support to Adobe Photoshop Creative Suite 2 and Adobe Photoshop Creative Suite 3. The Redmond Company has made available a plug-in for the two versions of Photoshop designed to allow users of the Adobe suites to open and save images in Microsoft's own HD Photo file format. HDPhotoPluginForPS.msi contains a beta build of the HD Photo plug-in for Windows XP and Windows Vista.
HD Photo is a Microsoft image file format aimed at replacing the ubiquitous JPEG. While dislodging the universal JPEG from its supremacy over image formats will not be an easy task, HD Photo will enjoy the support of Windows Vista. HD Photo is a native image format in Microsoft's latest operating system.
"This is the Windows BETA release of the HD Photo file format plug-in for Adobe Photoshop software with an UPDATED EXPIRATION DATE. It supports a wide range of pixel formats (including high dynamic range, wide gamut formats) and numerous advanced HD Photo features. This BETA plug-in is designed for use with the CS2 or CS3 versions of Adobe Photoshop software running under Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Vista. Any other use is not supported. Because this is a BETA release, we recommend you use careful judgment before using this version of the plug-in for any production work. This BETA version will expire after August 30, 2007," informed Microsoft in the product's description.
Microsoft is driving HD Photo, also known as Windows Media Photo, into a collision trajectory with JPEG. The Joint Photographic Experts Group image file format currently has the upper hand, but HD Photo will undoubtedly grow with Windows Vista, and once the installed base of the operating system outweighs all other operating systems on the market, Microsoft will start replacing JPEG with its own image format.