Google Buys Video Company On2 for $106.5M

#1

Post by procyon » Wed, Aug 05, 2009, 2:04 PM UTC

Google Buys Video Company On2 for $106.5M
gigaom.com

Re: Google Buys Video Company On2 for $106.5M

#2

Post by Maxious » Wed, Aug 05, 2009, 2:20 PM UTC

Have Google neutralised any remotely possible patent threat from On2 over Theora now? Can we finally get on with implementing ?

Re: Google Buys Video Company On2 for $106.5M

#3

Post by tamas » Wed, Aug 05, 2009, 2:21 PM UTC

On2 is the company that originally developed the VP3 codec, on which the Ogg Theora codec is based.

Re: Google Buys Video Company On2 for $106.5M

#4

Post by dtf » Wed, Aug 05, 2009, 2:21 PM UTC

So are they going to license VP8 for money or open it? Android and possibly HTML5 could stand to gain a lot from this, I guess. [VP8 was touted as better-performing than H.264, with suitability still for low power (eg ARM) platforms... though haven't seen any results yet]

Re: Google Buys Video Company On2 for $106.5M

#5

Post by dtf » Wed, Aug 05, 2009, 2:23 PM UTC

Maxious wrote: post #2

Have Google neutralised any remotely possible patent threat from On2 over Theora now? Can we finally get on with implementing ?

On2 released all the patents they had on VP3 when they gave it to Xiph. Apple and Nokia's patent concerns (if they were genuine) were to do with unknown third-party holders of submarine patents. In that respect, I don't think Google could offer any more protection.

Re: Google Buys Video Company On2 for $106.5M

#6

Post by kierank » Wed, Aug 05, 2009, 2:26 PM UTC

Maxious wrote: post #2

Have Google neutralised any remotely possible patent threat from On2 over Theora now? Can we finally get on with implementing ?

On2 had already disclaimed all their patent rights on Theora.

Re: Google Buys Video Company On2 for $106.5M

#7

Post by dtf » Wed, Aug 05, 2009, 2:29 PM UTC

tamas wrote: post #3

On2 is the company that originally developed the VP3 codec, on which the Ogg Theora codec is based.

Interestingly enough, On2 didn't develop VP3 either - they acquired it when they bought MetaVisual Creations.

Re: Google Buys Video Company On2 for $106.5M

#8

Post by shalmanese » Wed, Aug 05, 2009, 2:34 PM UTC

My immediate first thought was also that Ogg Theora & HTML5 played a role in Google's reasoning to buy On2. Even if they've disclaimed all patent rights, Google is providing the deep pockets to keep other vendors reassured about patent trolls.

Re: Google Buys Video Company On2 for $106.5M

#9

Post by TrevorJ » Wed, Aug 05, 2009, 3:36 PM UTC

The obvious youtube application aside, I wonder if they are looking forward to the need for video support for chrome OS?

Re: Google Buys Video Company On2 for $106.5M

#10

Post by callmeed » Wed, Aug 05, 2009, 3:40 PM UTC

I'm in the middle of a project that uses their FlixCloud service for on-demand transcoding ... I hope that doesn't die.