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Google Removing H.264 Support in Chrome

blog.chromium.org

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Re: Google Removing H.264 Support in Chrome

#351
post #281

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't disagree, but Android users seem to get by more or less "ok" without hardware 264 decoding (at least the ones who have devices without hardware decoding). Personally, I just leave my mobile devices plugged in most of the time anyway so they're always topped off, but that's just me.

>mobile devices plugged in most of the time DOES NOT COMPUTE.

Well, having a desk job does tend to make me stay in one place for the most part. If I know I'm going to be sitting there for longer than an hour -- I plug it in.

In the car? Plug it in.

etc.

Re: Google Removing H.264 Support in Chrome

#352
post #351

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>mobile devices plugged in most of the time DOES NOT COMPUTE.

Well, having a desk job does tend to make me stay in one place for the most part. If I know I'm going to be sitting there for longer than an hour -- I plug it in. In the car? Plug it in. etc.

That's the fast way to ruin your batteries. Don't do it.

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Battery_memor...

Re: Google Removing H.264 Support in Chrome

#353

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty sure Google open-sourced vp8 (the video codec in webm), which means they don't own it or exclusively control it. I don't know how much more open you can get.

VP8 is open source, but Google isn't accepting patches, and it resembles H.264 in a lot of ways... and H.264 is patented. Google hasn't been sued over it yet, but if they are, it probably wouldn't end well for them. http://x264dev.multimedia.cx/archives/377

Without more detailed analysis of the tech and patents involved, this is FUD. Merely noting that it "resembles H.264 in a lot of ways" doesn't mean that it violates (or is even just somewhat likely to violate) any patents.

"Star Wars" resembles "Lord of the Rings" in a lot of ways, but I don't think the Tolkien estate has sued over the hero's journey archetype yet.

Re: Google Removing H.264 Support in Chrome

#354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[Regarding being downmodded] Uh... okay? I'm completely serious here. Please tell me what you're referring to.

The big one is web search / advertising. The code that is making google money is not open source.

You also mentioned Mozilla there.

Re: Google Removing H.264 Support in Chrome

#355
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple is fully behind HTML5 - http://www.apple.com/html5/

Yet the number one reason there isn't a codec specified in HTML5 is because Apple blocked it.

That's false. Read this: http://lists.whatwg.org/htdig.cgi/whatwg-whatwg.org/2009-Jun...

MS didn't commmit to anything, Mozilla essentially blocked H.264 from becoming specified codec too. All had reasonably sound reasons to hold their respective position. Not everything can be explained as good vs. evil.

Re: Google Removing H.264 Support in Chrome

#356
post #10

I thought Chrome came bundled with Flash Player http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/25/google-chrome-flash/ ...which supports H.264 in an MP4 container... http://diveintohtml5.org/video.html ....so I'm not clear on what's actually happening here. Is Chrome going to just stop handing off MP4/H.264 from video tags to the bundled Flash Player even though it's there and can play it? Or will it stop bundling Flash Player? Or bu…

Yes - I'm really struggling to see why anyone who delivers video would do anything other than:

does it support H.264? if not then play with flash.

which is easy.

Especially compared to - re-encode all my stuff and change complex encoding workflows.

The average user isn't even going to be able to tell the difference.

Re: Google Removing H.264 Support in Chrome

#357
post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, in spirit too: "This demo was designed with the latest web standards supported by Safari. If you’d like to experience this demo, simply download Safari. It’s free for Mac and PC, and it only takes a few minutes." Come see web standards! Using a specific browser.

Hum, because they're showing the latest HTML features that Safari supports? Not all browsers support the same range of features for a particular HTML standard.

A couple of days later, I found this: How much HTML5 is there in Apple's HTML5 demos? http://blog.marcoos.com/2010/06/09/is-html5-by-apple-really-...

Re: Google Removing H.264 Support in Chrome

#358
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Comment of the year right here, folks. +4 already too. Thank heavens its a throwaway, how embarrassing.

It's not exactly insightful but it does have some merit. Apple's approach is an odd mix of open and closed. You could describe it as 'strategically open'... (of course - this applies to Google too to a slightly lesser degree). No company supports open-source if it directly conflicts with their perceived interests. Some companies just take a wider view than others.

I'd like to see a compiled list of open technologies Apple has chosen vs closed. "invariably closed" my arse.
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