Editing Advanced Video Coding (section)

=== Fidelity range extensions and professional profiles ===
The standardization of the first version of H.264/AVC was completed in May 2003. In the first project to extend the original standard, the JVT then developed what was called the Fidelity Range Extensions (FRExt). These extensions enabled higher quality video coding by supporting increased sample bit depth precision and higher-resolution color information, including the sampling structures known as [[YCbCr|Y′C<sub>B</sub>C<sub>R</sub>]] 4:2:2 (a.k.a. [[YUV 4:2:2]]) and 4:4:4. Several other features were also included in the FRExt project, such as adding an 8×8 integer [[discrete cosine transform]] (integer DCT) with adaptive switching between the 4×4 and 8×8 transforms, encoder-specified perceptual-based quantization weighting matrices, efficient inter-picture lossless coding, and support of additional color spaces. The design work on the FRExt project was completed in July 2004, and the drafting work on them was completed in September 2004.

Five other new profiles (see version 7 below) intended primarily for professional applications were then developed, adding extended-gamut color space support, defining additional aspect ratio indicators, defining two additional types of "supplemental enhancement information" (post-filter hint and tone mapping), and deprecating one of the prior FRExt profiles (the High 4:4:4 profile) that industry feedback{{By whom|date=December 2016}} indicated should have been designed differently.