.Y Estensione file

A Y file is a raw image file that contains the luma (brightness) component of an image stored in the YUV color space. It typically accompanies two other files, .U and .V, which store the chroma (color) components. Together, these three files represent a single subsampled YUV image that has been split into separate data channels.

The YUV format allows for chroma subsampling, which reduces the size of the color data without significantly affecting visual quality. The Y, U, and V files are often produced as a result of converting or compressing full-color images using codecs or tools that rely on YUV representation, such as the Stanford MPEG codec.

Users in academic research and video processing workflows that involve image compression or analysis primarily use Y files. For example, researchers and students in fields such as image processing, video compression, and computer vision often work with raw image formats like YUV to study how compression algorithms affect visual quality or to develop new encoding methods.

You can open Y files with Microsoft Windows Media Player (Windows) and Apple QuickTime Player (macOS). However, Windows Media Player requires the YUV Genius package and the QuickTime Player requires the QuickTime YUV codec.

A Y file is a compressed archive most likely created on an Amiga computer. It contains one or more files compressed using Yabba compression.

While Yabba compression was used mostly on Amiga computers, a version of Yabba also existed for Unix.

You can open a Y file with Smith Micro StuffIt Deluxe (Windows, Mac) or Cloanto Amiga Forever (multiplatform).