What is a characteristic of I-frames in video compression?

I-frames, or Intra-coded frames, are a fundamental element of video compression. A defining characteristic of I-frames is that they contain complete image data, meaning they represent the full picture without needing any reference from other frames. This independence allows I-frames to serve as key frames in a video sequence, providing clear images at intervals and acting as reference points for subsequent frames, which may be predictive frames (like P-frames) or bidirectional frames (like B-frames).

This characteristic is vital in video compression because I-frames enable reliable playback and editing. Since they do not rely on other frames, they can be decoded on their own without requiring the context of previous or surrounding frames, ensuring that viewers can always access a full frame of video regardless of how the sequence progresses.

In contrast, predictive frames (P-frames) depend on previous frames for data and are smaller in file size, while B-frames can reference both previous and next frames, which contributes to their size and complexity. The statement regarding I-frames being the smallest type is inaccurate, as they tend to be larger due to the complete image data they contain. Furthermore, I-frames are not exclusive to MJPEG; they are utilized in various video compression