Tag Archives: WebM
A Move Towards HTML Video Codecs For Chrome
Posted on 11. Jan, 2011 by Daniel Cawrey. 
3 Comments
The Chromium team has announced today that support for open video codecs will become a larger focus for the open source browser. Last year, Google purchase the video company On2, whose VP8 open source video codec became the catalyst for the WebM project, an open source consortium for video standards on the internet.
This is in an effort to move away from what is currently the defacto video standard, which is H.264. This is the codec that is used combined with Flash on YouTube to play clips, and many other sites use the same technology.
Inside Chrome 6: Video
Posted on 19. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 2 Comments
This article on video is part of a series of posts discussing the new features and technology that will come with the official newest release of Chrome browser – Version 6.
The rise of video on the internet is going to really change the web – although that has been said for years, it’s taking advances in broadband and browser technology for it to happen. We’re getting close, and the fact that Google TV is coming later this year with a version of Android and the Chrome browser on top, new technology in Chrome 6 will propel web-based video even further.
Chrome 6 will support the WebM standard, which runs on the recently opened-up video codec called VP8. WebM is supported by Mozilla, Opera and Google among other technology companies. The early beta of Firefox 4 is the first browser to support WebM.
Earlier this year, Google bought On2 Technologies, which owned the patent to VP8. Once the acquisition was made, several open source groups such as the Free Software Foundation asked Google to open up VP8, and they did. The On2 acquisition was big for the development of HTML5 video in newer generation browsers. With WebM, HTML5 video is run through an open standard, a process that in the past has been handled by Flash and a video technology called H.264, which is not open.
So what does this all mean? Improved quality of video as well as overall performance, no matter where you are. Plus, we’ll see more capability to mash-up, modify and generally edit videos in ways we probably have not yet even though of.
Need some proof? Consider this Chrome Experiment called “Destructive Video” by Sean Christmann. Although it uses the Ogg video codec instead (WebM just came out), you are able to break up a clip into pieces whilst the video is play. Also, check out the YouTube mobile site, which is HTML5-based and very snappy. Although the codec used here is H.264, the WebM format will be introduced as mobile devices get WebM, which Android is expected have implemented later on this year.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/6/10
Posted on 06. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
Chrome 6 will support WebM (hey, Opera already does), a better bookmark sync and some other UI changes.
Massive increases are being seen in the need for workers in geolocation, cloud services, HTML5 and mobile applications.
DownloadSquad’s Lee Matthews has found even more web applications which to play with in Chrome.
CNET reports that Google is working on orientation support for Chrome, giving it a leg up in webapps versus regular applications.
RWW’s Sarah Perez says orientation support shows how serious Google is about competing within the gaming market.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/1/10
Posted on 01. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
Could the FTC block a possible acquisition by Google of flight search site ITA Software?
There is now an accessibility implementation guide available for developing Chrome browser extensions.
Google is reporting service disruptions in China on the eve of their operating license renewal in that country.
The Chrome Nanny extension helps keep you productive by blocking time-wasting sites – just like what they do at the workplace.
Opera 10.6 is the first final release browser to have Google’s new open video standard WebM implemented.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 5/21/10
Posted on 21. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
The Google-AdMob deal has been approved by the FTC, citing competition with Apple’s iAd platform in the mobile market.
Lilliputing has a review of the Compaq Airlife 100, a netbook that ships with the Android operating system.
Left out of a lot of I/O coverage was Google’s release of its Prediction API, which analyzes historical data to predict future outcomes.
Will Google and Rupert Murdoch eventually work together on a pay model for publishers on the internet?
Is Google’s decision to open source On2′s VP8 video codec with the WebM initiative going to create a big mess?
Google I/O Day 1: HTML5, Open Source Video and Interesting Apps
Posted on 19. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
While many expected big announcements at Google I/O, Day One featured mostly a build-up to what is expected to be much larger announcements at the second keynote that is happening tomorrow morning. Some of the rumors that have been heard about Android and Google TV did not come to fruition, at least for today.
A big revelation is the fact that Google’s $124.6 million purchase of video codec firm On2 will allow the company’s VP8 technology to be open sourced in a initiative known as WebM. This is going to be embraced by an array of web-centric companies, including Opera, Mozilla and Skype.
Some interesting web-based software companies were featured like the TV-Guide-ish Clicker.tv and MugTug, which is a browser-based image editing software that is powered by HTML5′s 2D canvas technology:
Heavily presented at today’s keynote were advancing technologies that are propelling the web. Interestingly, the CEOs of both Mozilla and Opera had a chance to talk and then the Chrome Web Store was announced which clearly will only be run within Google’s own Chrome browser and eventually Chrome OS.
We’ll be intently watching tomorrow, however, and keep posting updates as fast as we can.
