The Web-based Subjective Quality Assessment of an Adaptive Image Compression Plug-in

摘要

Images are a key element for conveying information about visual systems. However, image-based representation and communication require large information bandwidth. Image compression is currently the leading methodology for reducing bandwidth/load problems thus improving User Experience. Synthetic objective metrics are often used to assess the quality of image compression models, but they often do not reliably predict subjective ratings. This work shows the end-users' quality evaluation of a new compression plug-in fully compliant with all on-going image formats. The subjective quality assessment of jpeg pictures compressed by the plug-in followed a new Web-based Single Stimulus Continuous Quality Scale method, whose validity and reliability have been described in a previously published study. The results of this study show that pictures compressed by the proposed adaptive image compression plug-in have a 55% compression gain compared to jpeg images compressed by Facebook Mobile, with no loss in perceived image quality.