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Google to open source video codec
By siliconindia
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Monday, 19 April 2010, 21:35 IST |
1 Comments
Bangalore: According to a recent report, Google will take a step towards license-free web video playback by next month when it open sources the leading video codec from a company it just acquired for $124.6 million.
NewTeeVee reports that Google will roll the codec into its Chrome browser, and that Mozilla will do the same with Firefox. While responding to the report, a Google spokesman said,"We're excited to be working with the On2 team to continue to improve the video experience on the web."
Google first announced its acquisition of On2 Technologies in August of last year, which was a hint that it would open source the outfit's leading codec. Google said it believes "High-quality video compression technology should be a part of the web platform."
Whatever its intentions with the On2 codec, Google has spent the past few months playing both sides of the fence, when it comes the issue of free and open video playback. And also it has received criticism like of Mozilla for continuing to use Adobe Flash and H.264 on YouTube, reports Cade Metz of theregister.
"I do not like the situation on the Web today, where to use all the content you need to have a license to Flash, and I am saddened that Google is choosing to use its considerable leverage - especially in the Web video space, where they could be a king-maker if ever there was one - to create a future in which one needs an H.264 patent license to view much of the video content on the Web." Mozilla CTO Mike Shaver said on a public mailing .
Google added a "trial" HTML5 player to YouTube in January, which used H.264 rather than Ogg. And that went against Google's commitment to free and open video playback, it also meant that the player did not work with Opera or Firefox, which use Ogg exclusively. Google indicated the player may support other codecs in the future.
According to company open source guru Chris DiBona, Google has continued to use Flash on YouTube because Ogg can't match the performance of H.264. But presumably, an open VP8 would solve this alleged performance issue.
