File types

• What is an MP3?


  An MP3 is a file type used for storing music on CDs
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of a WAV file?

  An advantage is that they have better quality, a disadvantage is that they are uncompressed meaning they have a bigger file size.
• What are the qualities of a JPEG, and what is it used for?

  The qualities of a JPEG are:

  • Lossy compression
  • 24-bit colour depth (true colour)
  • No animation
  • No transparency

  It is used for storing photos.
• What are the qualities of a GIF, and what is it used for?

  The Qualities of a GIF are:

  • Lossless compression
  • 8-bit colour depth
  • Animation
  • Transparency

  It is used for cartoons and animation, and is therefore NOT suitable for photos.
• What is WAV and what is it used for?

  WAV is a file type used by musicians and is the native music filetype on Windows.
• What is the purpose of compression, and what types of compression are there?

  The purpose of compression is to make a file smaller. There are 2 types of compression:

  • Lossy Compression - Some data is lost, although algorithms try to minimise the quality reduction. The file size is usually smaller compared to Lossless Compression.
  • Lossless Compression - No data is lost, although the file size tends to be larger compared to Lossy Compression
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of an MP3 file?

  An advantage is that they are smaller in size, a disadvantage is that they are lower quality than WAV files.
• What are the qualities of a PNG, and what is it used for?

  The Qualities of a PNG are:

  • Lossless Compression
  • 24-bit colour depth (true colour)
  • No Animation
  • Has Transparency

  It is used for storing photos.