Google to open-source VP8 codec
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- lukus_W
More chance of Flash being killed -> Google are supposedly going to open-source the VP8 video codec produced by ON2 Technologies (a company they've just bought for $133 million dollars).
At the moment, Firefox hasn't been able to support HTML5 video that's been compressed using h.264 due to licensing restrictions - this move would probably change all that, and could establish this new codec as the standard choice for HTML5 video.
- kingsteven0
Seems like the next logical step in ending Flash's dominance in web video? Leaves me with more questions than answers...
H.264 is primary codec in BlueRay and Quicktime, Flash used ON2 codecs before H.264, still supports VP2? Not VP8? Surely to make this the dominant web format in the next 5 years Flash will need to support it as an interim player?
Also, while I don't know much about the licensing, I remember reading that the patent holder is not enforcing the H.264 patent ATM. If ON2 is a contender again, it's hard to imagine them ever going all compuserve on us.
Anyway, I'm not sure Google's plans conflict that much with the open screen project, Adobe know this is the way the internet is going. I can see it causing problems with Apple if they don't jump on board.
- kpl0
"With regard to patents, VP8 copies way too much from H.264 for anyone sane to be comfortable with it, no matter whose word is behind the claim of being patent-free."
I'm taking bets: 2:1 odds that VP8 is irrelevant in a year.
- With regard to patents, VP8 copies way too much from H.264 for anyone sane to be comfortable with it, no matter whose word is behind the claim of being patent-free.kpl
- oops... http://x264dev.multi…kpl
- and actually, those are horrible odds for me.kpl
- mightyj0
Adobe got onstage at the Google I/O conference and stated flash will support vp8 as well. I'm not sure how a video codec can kill flash as it's uses go far beyond a video player. In the end they are all tools.
- ukit0
I think the key here is that if only Chrome, FF and Opera support VP8, it doesn't really stand a chance.
If it gets bundled with the Flash plugin, they can distribute it to almost everyone within a year or so.
So Flash as a trojan horse...in a good way:)
- lukus_W0
@kpl;
That's a summary of developer who's working on x264 and ffmpeg. The guy is a student, not a lawyer. He's not qualified to make a statement about patent law.
