Motion JPEG (MJPG) is a video compression format that stores each video frame as a separate JPEG image. Unlike traditional video codecs that use inter-frame compression, MJPG compresses each frame independently, resulting in larger file sizes but easier frame-by-frame processing. It's particularly useful in scenarios requiring individual frame access or low computational complexity.
High compatibility across platforms, simple decoding process, easy frame extraction, good performance in low-computational environments, supports progressive rendering, works well with still image compression techniques.
Large file sizes, inefficient bandwidth usage, limited compression compared to modern video codecs, higher storage requirements, not ideal for high-motion video content, reduced performance in complex visual scenes.
MJPG is widely used in webcams, security cameras, machine vision systems, medical imaging, and industrial inspection equipment. It's common in embedded systems, surveillance applications, and scenarios requiring real-time video capture with minimal processing overhead. Digital cameras and some video streaming platforms also utilize this format for specific capture and transmission needs.