RB to G4 Converter

RB to G4 FAX format — free online conversion

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Ebook to Fax Format

Turn obsolete RB ebook pages into G4 Group 4 FAX images — perfectly compressed monochrome output for archival or transmission.

Seconds, Not Minutes

RB files are tiny. Convertio servers compress them into G4 format almost instantly — no lengthy processing waits.

Files Auto-Deleted

Your uploaded RB files are removed immediately after conversion. G4 output files are purged within 24 hours.

How to convert RB to G4

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose g4 or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your g4 file right afterwards

About formats

RB is the native ebook format of the Rocket eBook, one of the first commercially available dedicated e-reading devices, developed by NuvoMedia and released in October 1998. Founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning — who later co-founded Tesla Motors — NuvoMedia designed the Rocket eBook as a handheld device with a reflective LCD screen, capable of storing approximately ten books in its internal memory. The RB format packages HTML-based content along with embedded images, metadata, and a table of contents into a single binary container optimized for the device's limited hardware. Content was purchased and downloaded through NuvoMedia's RocketLibrarian desktop software. A notable advantage of the format was its early support for bookmarking, annotation, dictionary lookups, and adjustable font sizing — features now standard on modern e-readers but revolutionary in the late 1990s. The Rocket eBook demonstrated viable commercial demand for dedicated reading devices, paving the way for subsequent platforms from Sony, Amazon, and others. NuvoMedia was acquired by Gemstar-TV Guide International in 2000, which discontinued the device line in 2003. While RB files are largely a historical curiosity today, they can be converted to modern formats using ebook management tools, and the format remains significant as a pioneering chapter in the evolution of digital reading.
Developer: NuvoMedia
Initial release: 1998
G4 is a monochrome image format based on the ITU-T Group 4 facsimile coding standard (Recommendation T.6), ratified by the CCITT in 1984 as an improvement over Group 3 for use on error-free digital networks like ISDN rather than analog telephone lines. G4 files contain 1-bit image data compressed using exclusively two-dimensional Modified Modified READ (MMR) coding, where each scanline is encoded as a set of differences (changing elements) relative to the line above it. By eliminating the one-dimensional coding fallback and the end-of-line synchronization markers required by Group 3, G4 achieves 20-50% better compression ratios on typical document pages while producing a simpler, more regular bitstream. The format is most commonly encountered as a compression method within TIFF files (TIFF compression tag 4), where it became the standard archival format for scanned documents in enterprise document management, government records, and legal imaging systems. G4 compression is specified at 200, 300, or 400 dpi depending on the scanning application, with 300 dpi being the most common for archival-quality document imaging. One advantage is exceptional compression efficiency for document content: G4's two-dimensional prediction exploits the strong vertical correlation in text and line art pages, typically compressing a 300 dpi letter-size page to 30-50 KB — roughly half the size of equivalent Group 3 encoding. The format's entrenchment in document management infrastructure is another strength — G4 TIFF is the mandated format for many government digital records systems, court filing systems, and corporate archives, supported by every enterprise imaging platform.
Developer: ITU-T (CCITT)
Initial release: 1984

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert RB to G4?

RB is an extinct 1998 ebook format. G4 compression produces compact monochrome images optimized for fax transmission and document archiving.

What opens G4 files?

IrfanView, XnView, LibreTIFF, ImageMagick, and most document imaging solutions can read Group 4 FAX compressed files.

Is G4 only for faxing?

Originally yes, but G4 is also widely used for archiving scanned documents in TIFF containers due to its efficient lossless compression.

How fast is the conversion?

Very fast — RB files are small ebook archives, and Convertio cloud servers process them to G4 format in seconds.

Does this cost money?

No, converting RB to G4 is free on Convertio. Premium plans unlock batch features and higher file size thresholds.