Google launches open WebM web video format based on VP8 (update: hardware partners and Microsoft statement)
By Nilay Patel 
posted May 19th 2010 12:22PM
posted May 19th 2010 12:22PM
Google's also going to be supporting the format as an option for YouTube playback, so that should drive adoption in a big way -- if you're running these latest Firefox or Chromium nightlies you can actually try it out now. The big question, of course, is whether Apple and Microsoft will roll WebM support into Safari and IE and onto their mobile platforms. We'll see -- Google definitely has the ability to push a format into the mainstream.
Update: Industry support announced at I/O -- including Adobe, who'll be rolling VP8 support into Flash Player. Take note of the hardware partners, though: AMD, ARM, Broadcom, Freescale, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and TI, among others. Missing in action? Intel.
Update 2: The always-reliable Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet says she's heard Microsoft will be supporting WebM in IE9. That's a big deal if it's true, but we'll have to wait for confirmation -- IE9 isn't due out for a year, so a lot can change in the meantime. Fingers crossed.
Update 3: Microsoft's made an official statement on its blog -- while the company is "all in" with HTML5, IE9 will only come with H.264 installed be default due to technical and IP concerns. HTML5 / VP8 playback will be supported, but users will have to download and install the codec separately, which doesn't bode well for widespread adoption. Here's the money quote:
[Thanks, Sean]In its HTML5 support, IE9 will support playback of H.264 video as well as VP8 video when the user has installed a VP8 codec on Windows.
Hardware:
- AMD
- ARM
- Broadcom
- Digital Rapids
- Freescale
- Imagination
- Logitech
- Marvel
- MIPS
- NVIDIA
- Qualcomm
- Texas Instruments
- Veri Silicon
- ViewCast
Open source and royalty-free. Awesome (and exactly what I'd expect from Google).
@mr88
Epic Win.
@mr88
AWESOME!!!!! Now why is Engadget not live at the google conference?
@JordanClay
I've been wondering that too. AndroidCentral has a nice live blog going, and you can stream the video of the event live on YouTube.
http://www.androidcentral.com/google-io-keynote-liveblog
http://www.youtube.com/GoogleDevelopers
@JordanClay I think it's a hardcore dev conference.. so I think they'll just on the non-dev parts.
On-topic: I guess by handhelds they mean especially Android devices. Does this mean that I will be able to watch youtube videos directly in the browser of my nexus?
@futurerheza
I think that google doesnt have enough fruit for engadget... Ooops did I say that outloud?
@gargle but since flash is coming, I guess I will be able to either way..
@mr88 indeed...
hope it settles down this whole "format debacle" with mozilla+opera finally adopting a good quality format.
On another hand, lets see how MS and Apple will do? MS will probably re-release more or less the same format but with W prefix and Apple will just say that it is "evil and battery hog".
@mr88
Pure Win! Matroska-based web format...I can see Microsoft adopting it...but I don't think Apple will support it anytime soon...Now that VP8 is under Google, improvements will continue until it is better than H.264.
Question: Does this mean that Firefox will support HTML5 videos in Theora and WebM format?
@mr88
I'm listening to the stream live, and for those who missed it, Adobe came out saying "HTML5 is great." They are talking about HTML5 now and NOT Flash. Great to see so many large companies behind this, including Adobe.
@JordanClay We're at I/O, but it's a web development conference and we're a gadget blog, so.... we're hitting the highlights. We'll make sure to post all the good stuff ASAP.
@kapanak Yes yes they should. If Mozilla were to support H.264, MPEG-LA would have a field day with their wallet. Mozilla believes in free-software principles. I have a feeling they will embrace VP8.
@kapanak
Safari supports whatever video formats QuickTime supports iirc. You can get Theora HTML5 support in Safari by installing the XiphQT packages. Plus, Adobe announced VP8 support in the next Flash release, so there'll be a fallback for browsers not supporting it (like IE).
@kapanak
Mozilla already confirmed that it will be built into the Firefox nightly build.
@mr88
Sounds good to me, now we just need to get everybody to adopt it and get rid of H.264. Google should be good at that :)
It's gonna be funny though when the MPEG-LA claims that this infringes on their patents though...I can see it coming now!
@Nilay Patel That doesn't really make sense when you guys cover apps, software updates, etc. like, all the time.
@mr88
In b4 Engadget trolls....oh wait....
@mr88 Im reminded of Nilay's article on all the licensing s*** for h.264 or mpeg4. Does this mean all of that goes away. Can we expect the MPEG consortium to strike back and try to scuttle this codec?
@mr88 Ok, just so everybody is clear... open source != royalty free. Google is not asking for royalties. But anybody who implements this could well be sued for infringing on patents. Most of this stuff is probably covered by all kinds of patents from all kinds of companies. You won't know about that until it happens. Companies will have to decide whether they think they can get enough revenue to balance the horrible negative perception they'll get. But I suspect that all the companies with patents in the h.264/MPEG-LA pool will likely decide that they'd rather have the money. And they'll go after Google when they deploy it in YouTube. Stay tuned.
@Fanfoot BTW, VC-1 is similar to h.264 but 'lighter weight' and we all know how that turned out--h.264 killed it. Lighter weight doesn't always mean a win. Wide industry support matters more. Let's see what happens.
@Fanfoot This sounds awesome. If just Microsoft and Apple would support this, it would be even more awesome.
Google, you know we love you, right?
@mr88
I wouldn't celebrate so soon. One of the biggest problems with these formats especially Matroska is that hardware doesn't support them. It's only good on powerful hardware. My PC is only 2 years old and the audio gets out of sync with the video when playing 1080p movies.
If the hardware guys aren't on board with this it's useless.
@VampireHunterZ
Ignore, I misread the article.
@mm
Yeah, I believe Apple's and MS's earnings report conferences were liveblogged.
@gargle actually yes! once 2.2 is available, you should be able to enjoy stuff like hulu and youtube right in the browser
@Fanfoot
They've already started deploying it for YouTube (they've begun converting the videos, at least). And Google said that it was royalty-free, I wasn't just inferring that.
@TheLondonExchange
You mean like yourself?
@Fanfoot I believe Microsoft is a major patent holder in the h.264 consortium. I've seen a comment from them somewhere, where they stated that they SPEND more money on h.264 royalties than they MAKE on h.264 royalties. It's a per unit license so I can see that happening.
@mr88 VP8 licenses patents from MPEG LA. Wait till MPEG LA sues Google.
@JordanClay
They used all their reporter pocket money to cover the Apple events. :p
@Nilay Patel Ignore these idiots. No need to explain why this isn't live bloged. If anything you are provided a way to flag these morons and avoid them. There are way too many simpletons commenting on your articles anyway. If only they could be corralled and sent to a private room to continue their circle jerk.
@Mr w00t i love how evil shifted from MS To Apple. HAH!
@memeslayer They will lose horribly. Google wouldn't push the standard if they knew they couldn't get away with it. They're far too smart for that.
@mr88
YES! Take that h.264 chumps. Google never seems to stop innovating and changing the playing field.
@Fanfoot Both VP8 and VP3 (the codec that was the basis of Theora) have been some of the few codecs that were developed independently of the "mainstream" development (h.26x, MPEG-X and VC-1). For quite some time, On2 has been the sole licensor of these, and not once has it been challanged. Bear in mind, that VP7 is used in Skype, so surely, if there was any money there, someone would have already sued either Skype or On2.
Oh, and VC-1 lost mainly because it was only a small improvement over MPEG-4.2 bitrate-wise (especially if compared to latest XviD). VC-1 had much larger initial hardware support. Secondly, because it was strictly tied to a single vendor: Microsoft, and it was poorly defined as a standard (no companion audio codec, ackward to mux into MPEG-TS)
@mr88
"users [of IE9] will have to download and install the codec separately, which doesn't bode well for widespread adoption"
Yes, because that really slowed down the adoption of flash >.>
@jstarpl Yup, that's true. But this level of deployment (and the size of the pockets on Google) is different. We will see. BTW it doesn't matter at all if you know about a patent or not. If you infringe on it you infringe. You don't have to copy the idea or the code or anything. You just have to implement the idea in such a way as to infringe the patent. See the analysis at http://x264dev.multimedia.cx/ for detailed comments. VP8 infringes. Doesn't matter what Google says.
@VampireHunterZ
How'd that happen? I was going strong with 720p movies under Linux on a 10-year-old HP Pavilion!
@rsramkee probably not. i mean we have divx etc all on the field already
however they might extend the fee waiving that is currently going.
@mr88 This is what I like about google, they always make complicated things, uncomplicated. Unlike this one. http://j.mp/steve-jobs-v-apple-review
@Fanfoot
You cannot just accept everything you read at face value. You are citing a 3rd year COLLEGE STUDENT who openly supports a competing codec. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/20/google_confident_on_vp8_and_patents/ Google put down a 100 million dollar bet that it DOESN'T infringe. Unless you're a patent lawyer, this is an open question and you can't make such broad statements. Plus, why are you fighting this? Do you LIKE the current broken patent system?
Congratulations Engadget for becoming a VP8 publishing partner! From the size of your logo in that picture you are clearly the most important publisher.
Is their anything Google doesn't have its hands in ?
@Bud92
*there
@Bud92
Beer
@Bud92
*their
@Bud92
My Pants...
@JordanClay
I have an Incredible in my pocket, so in a way Google is in my pants.
@graey
there, don't, their
@pbj
Good call.