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Simon Willison’s Weblog

Codecs for <audio> and <video>. HTML 5 will not be requiring support for specific audio and video codecs—Ian Hickson explains why, in great detail. Short version: Apple won’t implement Theora due to lack of hardware support and an “uncertain patent landscape”, while open source browsers (Chromium and Mozilla) can’t support H.264 due to the cost of the licenses.

Posted 2nd July 2009 at 10:16 am

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7 comments

  1. See also http://lists.whatwg.org/pipermail/whatwg-whatwg.or g/2009-July/020696.html from Philip Jägenstedt who is working on video support in Opera.

    jgraham - 2nd July 2009 13:05 - #

  2. Your short version is misleading: open source browsers can't support H.264 because of the *existence* of a patent licence (and specifically that they can't then give that to others downstream from them), not the cost. Mozilla has enough money to render the issue of cost moot, if it was an issue.

    Similarly Opera, who could licence it since they aren't open source, also objects to the the principle of requiring licences for the open web, rather than the cost.

    dave - 2nd July 2009 15:14 - #

  3. Indeed, Opera believes the video format for the Web should be royalty free.

    Anne van Kesteren - 2nd July 2009 15:26 - #

  4. I call BS on Apple's "reasons". They just want the money from the H.264 licenses.

    Why doesn't Apple just tell the truth?

    Shame on you, Apple. By doing this, you look as proprietary and closed as Microsoft.

    Andy - 2nd July 2009 20:56 - #

  5. Apple, by doing this, you're keeping the Web in closed-Flash for an indefinite time.

    Carlos - 2nd July 2009 21:07 - #

  6. Who cares if Apple won't implement? Nothing else works in Safari, why should this?

    Stephen Downes - 2nd July 2009 23:13 - #

  7. Reading between the lines of the mailing list it appears that Apple may be attempting to get one of the lower quality profiles of H.264 licenced royalty-free but is meeting resistance from certain other members of the MPEG-LA.

    As usual this is surrounded by the usual Apple secrecy and some of their representatives are putting out heavy-handed patent FUD, but if you want to believe there's a small chink of light there.

    dave - 3rd July 2009 13:38 - #

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