GIFV

So Imgur is reimagining the GIF format with Project GIFV:

The above GIF started at a whopping 50MB. After conversion, the final file is 3.4MB and loads at warp speed. Pretty sweet, right?

The cornerstone of Project GIFV is a platform-wide upgrade to automatically convert uploaded GIF files on the fly into the MP4 video format. The converted MP4s are significantly smaller than their equivalent GIFs, which allows them to load at lightning-fast speeds with better quality. By lowering bandwidth consumption, the change also optimizes Imgur for users on mobile. Rejoice!
Pretty cool.
I’ve said this before and it may sound silly to some people, but I think the animated GIF is one of the most important mediums for artistic expression in the 21st century,