Google launches open WebM web video format based on VP8 (update: hardware partners and Microsoft statement)

Google's plan to open-source the VP8 video codec it acquired when it purchased a company called On2 hasn't exactly been a secret, and the company's finally made it official today as part of a new format called WebM. The WebM container is based on Matroska, with VP8 video and Ogg Vorbis audio streams packed inside -- Google says the format is efficient enough to support playback on lower-power devices like netbooks, tablets, and handhelds, while the encoding profiles are simple enough to limit complexity when you're trying to create WebM files. WebM is open-sourced and licensed royalty-free under a BSD-style license, so all those H.264 patent licensing concerns shouldn't be an issue -- and as you'd expect, Mozilla is supporting WebM right off the bat, with support in Firefox nightly builds as of today. Chromium nightlies will also support WebM as of today, with Chrome early access builds getting support on May 24 -- and Opera is listed as "coming soon."

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:

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.

[Thanks, Sean]

Hardware:

• AMD
• ARM
• Broadcom
• Digital Rapids
• Freescale
• Imagination
• Logitech
• Marvel
• MIPS
• NVIDIA
• Qualcomm
• Texas Instruments
• Veri Silicon
• ViewCast

[PixelSlave Posted May 19th 2010 2:56PM]

>> but users will have to download and install the codec separately, which doesn't bode well for widespread adoption

Not true. That's where YouTube comes into play. 40% of all web videos originates from YouTube. Google can prompt IE9 users into installing the codec thru YouTube.

[Lumi Posted May 19th 2010 3:09PM]

They Blew it!
This is Evil and downright battery hog.

Rule 3.3.1: No Mac user must use it else I'll disable your system off the internet.

I am Stevo and I disapprove of this codec.

[fast Posted May 19th 2010 3:34PM]

"Hi. This is PR. Could you...tell Steve...to come down. We want to talk to him for a second...yeah...bad news unfortunately... yeah... What is it about? ... we kinda of well... we got owned today."

[Johnny Rockets Posted May 19th 2010 3:34PM]

Jobs' letter to Google:

Despite being open source, WebM is... uh... closed... and it uh, is the past and stuff...

Uhhh, just buy my idevices already!!!

[Atro Posted May 20th 2010 7:04AM]

@Johnny Rockets

LOL. Know what, I really wouldn't be surprised, if I saw a link to "Thoughts on WebM"

[ipaladin Posted May 20th 2010 2:08PM]

@Johnny Rockets The issue isn't Apple, it's the other companies in the MPEG-LA. I believe Jobs would be happy with VP8 as long as he is 100% certain it doesn't violate patents of H.264. VP8 still has some work to do though, optimization isn't yet as good as H.264. Of course, I think this will change over time. I think VP8 is the right idea but I just want it to get better.

[dardub Posted May 19th 2010 4:07PM]

Update 3: I like how it takes engadget an entire paragraph to reiterate the same exact thing ms said in a single sentence.

[rik66 Posted May 19th 2010 4:15PM]

Anyone buy the excuse by Microsoft for not supporting it natively ??

As far as I'm concerned both Apple and Microsoft ( and apparently Intel) have shown their true colors in this entire debate and it isn't a pretty color . The only company - thusfar- which has done EXACTLY as promised is Google .

I think it's safe to say that company is now the main driving force for establishing a freely available ,open source based internet experience .


I wouldn't be surprised if MPEG-LA now tries to "outlaw " the free standards and will sue Google . If that is indeed the case it will be a struggle between those that want the net to be free and unhindred by patents and those that want to have control by small number of companies. Not only for using the Net but also with regard to content thereon. We already now Apple and Micosoft not only want to control HOW you access the worldwide web but also WHAT is available to you.

They suffer from the "God-complex " .

[fast Posted May 19th 2010 4:35PM]

@rik66 ...those biatches are going downz !!!

[VampireHunterZ Posted May 19th 2010 5:33PM]

@rik66
Seriously, MPEG-LA could smell the money. I'm sure their employees already planned on buying mansions, Feraris and yachts. If I were them I would be really pissed about this. Expect legal action.

[issac Posted May 19th 2010 5:12PM]

Well played, Google... open the format, mimic Xiph (the lisencing mirrors alot of what Xiph did with Theora, while correnting a few flaws that Xiph has been overlooking) and get the big partners in. Hell, even Microsoft and ADOBE is fine with this at some measure... so that has to mean something.


Well, MPEG-LA? Apple? Your move!

[popol Posted May 19th 2010 10:47PM]

Summary for the lazy:

VP8, as a spec, should be a bit better than H.264 Baseline Profile and VC-1. It’s not even close to competitive with H.264 Main or High Profile. If Google is willing to revise the spec, this can probably be improved.

VP8, as an encoder, is somewhere between Xvid and Microsoft’s VC-1 in terms of visual quality. This can definitely be improved a lot, but not via conventional means.

VP8, as a decoder, decodes even slower than ffmpeg’s H.264. This probably can’t be improved that much.

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.

VP8 is definitely better compression-wise than Theora and Dirac, so if its claim to being patent-free does stand up, it’s an upgrade with regard to patent-free video formats.

VP8 is not ready for prime-time; the spec is a pile of copy-pasted C code and the encoder’s interface is lacking in features and buggy. They aren’t even ready to finalize the bitstream format, let alone switch the world over to VP8.

With the lack of a real spec, the VP8 software basically is the spec–and with the spec being “final”, any bugs are now set in stone. Such bugs have already been found and Google has rejected fixes

Google made the right decision to pick Matroska and Vorbis for its HTML5 video proposal.

From Mr x264 himself: http://x264dev.multimedia.cx/?p=377

[rik66 Posted May 20th 2010 4:30AM]

@popol Obviously the man has an interest in H.264 and is therefore biased. I quote : "x264 is a free software library for encoding video streams into the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC format. It is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License." in other words x264 is dependent on H.264- and MPEG LA - and as such wouldn't be thrilled about any competitor out there.

Some company officials are also reacting on OSnews :
http://www.osnews.com/story/23322/BREAKING_Google_Opens_VP8_Codec_Enables_it_on_YouTube

[xdeiri Posted May 20th 2010 4:41AM]

google you earn my respect

[Atro Posted May 20th 2010 7:01AM]

Open Source FTW. Google is the only lovable giant.

[enjourni Posted May 20th 2010 11:19AM]

Stop being pussies and pay for the damn H.264 licensing. It's a better codec.

[cuz84d Posted May 24th 2010 4:56PM]

Isn't Imagination the company who has always made the PowerVR chips and aren't they in the Apple iPhone/iPad?

[cuz84d Posted May 24th 2010 5:05PM]

@cuz84d so this story says otherwise for Apple.. but Imagination already supports VP6..

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/05/20/steve_jobs_says_no_to_googles_vp8_webm_codec.html

Maybe they won't directly, but maybe PowerVR chips will..

[obobo Posted Jun 8th 2010 3:03PM]

why on earth does anybody use IE?
no possible acceptable excuse
the costs in productivity are staggering