What does CIF stand for?
| Full form | Common Intermediate Format |
|---|---|
| Category | Technology & computing |
| Type | Abbreviation |
The abbreviation CIF stands for Common Intermediate Format in video terminology. ITU’s definition identifies a picture with 352 luminance pixels per line and 288 lines, in an H.261 context.
Keep the horizontal and vertical counts in that order: 352 by 288. These frame-grid dimensions do not specify frame rate, bitrate or the picture’s display shape by themselves. A grid match identifies the stated dimensions, not every condition of a codec or a guarantee of visual quality. This video meaning is separate from Common Interchange Format for graphical SDL models and Crystallographic Information File in science.
ITU: P.10/G.100 amendment, Common Intermediate Format definition ↗
Meaning in context
- Common
- Part of the standardized format name.
- Intermediate
- The video-format wording; it is not Interchange in this meaning.
- Format
- The named picture representation, whose stated luminance grid is 352 by 288.
Practical examples
Keep the axes ordered
- Before
A 288-by-352 image matches the CIF grid because it uses the same two numbers.
- After
The stated CIF grid is 352 horizontally by 288 vertically; reversing them changes the grid.
A pair of dimensions has ordered axes. The original example identifies a reversal without making a display-aspect assumption.
Separate size from timing
- Before
The file is CIF, therefore it must have the frame rate and bitrate I expect.
- After
Record the 352-by-288 grid separately from the actual frame-rate and bitrate fields.
A dimension label does not provide missing timing or compression values.
Original illustrative examples, not quotations or reports of actual events.
Use CIF with clarity
Does a CIF frame size also tell me the frame rate or video quality?
See all guidance
Identify the grid
Read width first, then line count.
352 luminance positions per line, 288 lines.
Read timing
Find the actual frame-rate information separately.
The grid label alone supplies no frame-rate value.
Compare another CIF label
Use video context to distinguish Intermediate from SDL Interchange.
A frame-size record points to the video meaning.
Matching these two counts checks only the stated grid. The exercise identifies no frame rate, display aspect, bitrate or codec conformance.
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By AcronymIndex Editorial Team · Editorial policy