Google's WebM Project: What it is and why it matters

Comments

  • ButtersButters CA Icrontian
    edited May 2010
    This is the article I've been waiting for since "Gingerbread".

    It hasn't been 24 hours and WebM already seems like its steamrolling. And for the right reasons.
  • Wolvenmoon
    edited May 2010
    My question is: Why doesn't the Mozilla foundation just do whatever the heck it wants, like Microsoft used to?

    "Sorry, this video does not play in Internet explorer/safari. Please download and install Mozilla Firefox."
  • NLichtmanNLichtman Spring Valley, CA
    edited May 2010
    I agree with Butters. This is sure to be a hot topic within the next few months.
  • MachineDogMachineDog New
    edited May 2010
    I expect this will all be more relevant when I see GPU acceleration of VP8 on desktops.

    I would bet a pretty nickel that Google has done this merely to appease the numerous FireFox users that are missing out on HTML5 on Google-owned YouTube. If FireFox (or whatever open or non-open source browser was in its marker share position) supported h.264, you wouldn't see this sort of push from Google I do not think.
  • AlexDeGruvenAlexDeGruven Wut? Meechigan Icrontian
    edited May 2010
    Not quite. There's money involved with distributing an h.264 decoder. It's free for now, but the group reserves the right to start charging distributors in the future.

    Google was using h.264 for YouTube because it was the best solution out there at the time. They have now created a better solution that can be distributed by anyone unencumbered, and without the continual threat of financial obligations.
  • djmephdjmeph Detroit Icrontian
    edited May 2010
    Anything that takes control of web standards away from companies like Sony, Apple and Microsoft is great for the internet in my opinion. I guess Google is starting to become one of those companies, but they have always believed in, financed and supported open web standards.
  • SnarkasmSnarkasm Madison, WI Icrontian
    edited May 2010
    The delicious irony of IE supporting WebM with a plugin when the entire idea is to rid the internet of plugins is so wonderful I can hardly stand it.
  • AlexDeGruvenAlexDeGruven Wut? Meechigan Icrontian
    edited May 2010
    Snarkasm wrote:
    The delicious irony of IE supporting WebM with a plugin when the entire idea is to rid the internet of plugins is so wonderful I can hardly stand it.


    I really wouldn't expect anything less from them.
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