YouTube starts transcoding all new uploads to WebM, already has a third of its library ready
V. Savov|04.20.11
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April 20th, 2011
In this article: file format, FileFormat, format, google, html5, online, online video, OnlineVideo, open source, OpenSource, stream, streaming, streaming video, StreamingVideo, transcode, transcoding, video, video format, VideoFormat, webm, youtube
Google's resolve to bring WebM video streaming to the masses doesn't seem to have been weakened by a general lack of interest from the rest of the tech world, and the company's announced that each and every new YouTube upload will now be automatically transcoded into a WebM version. Nearly a third of YouTube's archives have already made the transition to the open source format, though if you think that's a small proportion, you should probably know that those 30 percent account for 99 percent of all views on the site. Apparently, we all have a narrower set of interests than we like to believe. So, with all popular vids encoded and every incoming one getting the transcoding treatment, all you really need now is a compatible browser -- Chrome (naturally), Firefox 4, Opera, or IE9 with a plug-in -- and to enroll in YouTube's HTML5 trial linked below to get rolling with WebM playback. Appending "&webm=1" to a search string or a video's URL will also help you ensure you're getting the good stuff.
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