Google open sourcing VP8. Another blow against flash.

[Bytor65]

http://newteevee.com/2010/04/12/google-to-open-source-vp8-for-html5-video/


This is big because one of the stumbling blocks for HTML video streaming is have a codec that is both high quality and free and open.

VP8 potentially offers just that.

 

[gwynne]

You can fix the title, just edit and go Advanced.

 

[ravenvii]

Oh great, one more codec to splinter the HTML5 <video> standard.

Seems it'll be h.264 on Safari and Chrome, and VP8 on Chrome and Firefox.

At least this looks like the end of Theora.

 

[Bytor65]

Oh great, one more codec to splinter the HTML5 <video> standard.

Seems it'll be h.264 on Safari and Chrome, and VP8 on Chrome and Firefox.

At least this looks like the end of Theora.

Well if open sourced and unencumbered it could be everywhere as one of the default codecs.

 

[ravenvii]

Well if open sourced and unencumbered it could be everywhere as one of the default codecs.

Not necessarily. Many will feel that they trust h.264 more, since it has been declared a standard by a standardization body (the ISO), and maintained by MPEG LA. While VP8 does have a formidable force behind it (Google), being open source does not protect it from intellectual property (ie patent) suits.

Not to mention there's already a lot of work put into various hardware to support hardware h.264 decoding.

 

[EnderTW]

Huge blow to apple. Most likely firefox will adopt this codec over h.264 because it's free.

 

[ckorhonen]

Is there any hardware acceleration for VP8? One of the benefits of mp4 is the hardware support, so playing them will use less power/CPU.

 

[EnderTW]

Is there any hardware acceleration for VP8? One of the benefits of mp4 is the hardware support, so playing them will use less power/CPU.

Um..

mp4 is a container not a codec.

 

[danpass]

I have absolutely no problem with Flash disappearing.

Too much usage of it IMO



edit:

I'm talking about all the crap website designers seem to indulge in. godaddy.com is a "good" example.

 

[ckorhonen]

Um..

mp4 is a container not a codec.

Sorry, I meant h.264.

Don't get me wrong, VP8 is a great codec from what I have seen, but hardware support seems to be the main advantage h264 has over it - very relevant on devices like the iPad.