Implement AVIF image support

[JackieChun]

There was another suggestion from 2 years ago that was closed for lack of interest, included below for reference.

Now that all browsers and OS's have implemented AVIF support, and both Google and Apple have thrown their weight behind it, it should be considered for XenForo. Site loading times and performance would be improved, especially for styles that use JPEG or PNG backgrounds.

Lack of interest - Are we gonna see support for AVIF?

As the title says, are wee gonna see compatibility for AVIF image files for xenforo

xenforo.com

 

[btmgreg]

I wonder if WEBP is more the way to go. What's the minimum PHP spec going to be for 2.3?

Looks like Edge doesn't support AVIF either.

 

[JackieChun]

Edge supports it:

Microsoft Edge is finally getting AVIF support, long after Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari

Microsoft is working on AVIF support on Edge Canary. This means the browser will finally receive support for AVIF images, something which has worked on Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari for a while.

www.neowin.net

 

[Jeremy P]

It's available for Edge canary users (and even then it's disabled by default), but it is not available at all in the release version. Additionally Safari support is relatively new (and there are no true alternative browser engines on iOS, only Safari wrappers).

 

[btmgreg]

Edge supports it:

Microsoft Edge is finally getting AVIF support, long after Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari

Microsoft is working on AVIF support on Edge Canary. This means the browser will finally receive support for AVIF images, something which has worked on Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari for a while.

www.neowin.net

It doesn't. It's in testing. Download Edge (latest ver 115.xx) and find out for yourself

 

[JackieChun]

I do feel for Edge users, but every other browser works, including Opera, Brave, and Safari. I have already changed a background image on a XenForo forum from jpg to avif and got a file size reduction from 290 KB to 50 KB with no visible quality degradation. It's a game-changer, and I don't plan on going back.

Edge users will get no background picture until the feature gets into stable builds, which means faster loading times for them in the meantime. Everybody wins.

 

[FTL]

Defo support AVIF. The wider the format support the better.

It's currently really inconvenient without webp support, so 2.3 which has it, can't come soon enough.

 

[KensonPlays]

Edge isn't that bad a browser. I switched FROM Chrome TO Edge, since it uses a little bit less ram than Chrome does. It meets my needs, and the tablet app has a permanent desktop toggle that's easy to enable.

I do feel for Edge users, but every other browser works, including Opera, Brave, and Safari. I have already changed a background image on a XenForo forum from jpg to avif and got a file size reduction from 290 KB to 50 KB with no visible quality degradation. It's a game-changer, and I don't plan on going back.

Edge users will get no background picture until the feature gets into stable builds, which means faster loading times for them in the meantime. Everybody wins.

Even if it doesn't support it now, I'm patient, and can wait. Edge is actually a decent browser these days IMO, since it renders with the chromium engine but uses less resources than Chrome did for me. Can also run Chrome addons, so no issues there.

 

[TPerry]

I do feel for Edge users, but every other browser works, including Opera, Brave, and Safari.

Which in some business environments are NOT allowed to be installed.

 

[JackieChun]

Microsoft Edge support is now out of canary and coming to Stable builds in 2 weeks.

AVIF support in Microsoft Edge is coming with version 121

It's been a long time coming, but we're finally getting AVIF support in Microsoft Edge.

mspoweruser.com

I have been replacing all PNGs and JPEGs with AVIF on many of my sites, and the performance improvements are spectactular.

 

[nopitter]

... it should be considered for XenForo. Site loading times and performance would be improved, especially for styles that use JPEG or PNG backgrounds.

If site loading time and performance matters, do not use image backgrounds. Just an idea.

 

[JackieChun]

If site loading time and performance matters, do not use image backgrounds. Just an idea.

That's a brilliant idea. Even better, don't use images at all, and also try to avoid CSS and javascript. Load text pages with gray backgrounds for optimum performance

 

[nopitter]

That's a brilliant idea.

I know.

Even better, don't use images at all, and also try to avoid CSS and javascript. Load text pages with gray backgrounds for optimum performance

World is more than black and white.

 

[Wing]

You guys have to quit living in the early 2000s. We have fiber these days… get creative and style up your sites

 

[FTL]

You guys have to quit living in the early 2000s. We have fiber these days… get creative and style up your sites

Nah, hard black and white text only is the way to go!

 

[Mithgol]

Now in 2024 this format (AVIF) is supported in the latest versions of every popular web browser because Microsoft's support landed in Microsoft Edge 121 (January 25, so four months ago).

The first PHP version to support AVIF in GD was PHP 8.2 (released in December 2022) — prior to that PHP's GD lacked AVIF support in their getimagesize() function.

Notice that PHP 8.2 is already the recommended (though not required) version of PHP in the current set of XenForo's requirements and thus the necessary level of server-side AVIF support is already recommended.

A yesterday's screenshot of https://caniuse.com/avif is attached below:

 

[bzcomputers]

Any chance we get AVIF support before PHP 8.2 is the current minimum recommendation?

 

[Jeremy P]

Maybe but given its only gained broad support recently and is of marginal utility over WebP it's just not that high on the priority list.