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Mozilla bundles WebM support into nightly Firefox builds
Google's new web video standard seems to be gathering a bit of momentum, as today Firefox is following in the ultrafast steps of Chrome by offering built-in support for WebM video. Bugs are still being worked out, but the fundamentals are there, and we'll hopefully see all kinks ironed out in time for the release of Firefox 4 Beta, which is expected to land later this month. This is now the third big browser to announce compatibility, with Microsoft already promising it for IE 9, provided users download the necessary VP8 codec first. The HTML5-obsessed Apple hasn't yet decided which way it's going with the standard while Opera is presumably busy figuring out how to parody the whole thing in video form.
Intel mulling WebM hardware acceleration in Atom CE4100 chip
Hey Google, shall we try the other box? Maybe it has hardware acceleration built in for your new WebM video format? Intel's Wilfred Martis has told IDG News that his company is keeping a close eye on Google's new VP8-based format, and should it prove popular enough, hardware acceleration for it will be built into the CE4100 and other Atom chips headed to TVs and overpowered cable boxes in the future: Just like we did with other codecs like MPEG2, H.264 & VC1, if VP8 establishes itself in the Smart TV space, we will add it to our [hardware] decoders. Not exactly astonishing news, as Google TV is still likely to proceed on those chips with WebM getting decoded by software in the mean time, but at least Intel's absenteeism from the WebM hardware partner list can now be explained as simple precaution, rather than some deeper division between the companies.
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]
Skype 3G update coming 'soon'
As most of you know already, Apple has lifted the restrictions against making VoIP calls over a 3G connection, and a handful of apps have already "flipped a switch" behind the scenes to enable such calls. However, the most high-profile VoIP app on the App Store, Skype, has yet to follow suit. Skype has posted an update on their blog regarding their progress on enabling VoIP over 3G. According to the company, 3G calling is coming "soon" along with a few other updates that will ensure that both the app itself and the calls it makes remain high-quality. The next Skype update will include a call quality indicator for the 3G network similar to the one they already have for Wi-Fi connections -- depending on the strength of your network connection, the indicator will show green, yellow, or red, giving you a rough idea of what quality to expect out of calls on your current network. Skype is also working on implementing a "wideband audio" codec for calls, which the company says will allow for "CD quality sound" on Skype-to-Skype calls. From the sounds of the video below, however, this feature will only be coming to the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch; it's probable that the iPhone 3G and original iPhone lack the processing power necessary to drive Skype's wideband audio codec. Since the announcement of the lifting of VoIP over 3G restrictions, much speculation has surrounded the possible implementation of VoIP calls on the iPad. The iPad has a microphone, speaker, and Bluetooth, all of which, when paired with a very competitively priced pay-as-you-go and contract-free 3G data plan, make the iPad a very compelling alternative to the iPhone. Skype says it is indeed investigating a Skype for iPad app, but at this very early stage, no further details are available. We'll keep you posted on the Skype app and let you know when it's updated as soon as we find out. In the meantime, you can watch this brief video from the guys at Skype, where they discuss their progress on the app.
PS3 Slim bitstreams Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA audio, at last
Slowly, ever so slowly we're beginning to learn about the internal differences between Sony's new PS3 Slim and its chubby ancestry. We already knew that it supported BraviaLink while talk of "faster gaming" was introduced (suspiciously) yesterday; something that remains very much in doubt until we can confirm. Now we hear that the fatboy gone slim supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio bitstream output to your receiver. Hear that audio nerds? Bitstream. See the HDMI chip on previous generations of the PS3 didn't support bitstream output of the new(ish) high def codecs like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. As such, the PS3 had to decode it internally before sending it over to your receiver via LPCM. A process that could garble the lossless audio depending on your setup. Even though the vast majority of people will never notice the difference (or even care), PS3 Slim owners can still kick back in smug satisfaction each time the TrueHD or DTS-HD MA indicators light-up on their receivers.
PS3 Slim bitsreams Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA audio, at last
Slowly, ever so slowly we're beginning to learn about the internal differences between Sony's new PS3 Slim and its chubby ancestry. We already knew that it supported BraviaLink while talk of "faster gaming" was introduced (suspiciously) yesterday; something that remains very much in doubt until we can confirm. Now we hear that the fatboy gone slim supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio bitstream output to your receiver. Hear that audio nerds? Bitstream. See the HDMI chip on previous generations of the PS3 didn't support bitstream output of the new(ish) high def codecs like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. As such, the PS3 had to decode it internally before sending it over to your receiver via LPCM. A process that could garble the lossless audio depending on your setup. Even though the vast majority of people will never notice the difference (or even care), PS3 Slim owners can still kick back in smug satisfaction each time the TrueHD or DTS-HD MA indicators light-up on their receivers.
DTS and Zoran shake hands and make up, expect to see silicon this year
When it comes to Blu-ray deck price decreases, we'll take whatever we can get -- especially with the naysaying that seems to follow the format these days. So file the fact that Zoran and DTS have put their legal disputes behind them, and Zoran plans to have single-chip solutions for Blu-ray decoding with support for DTS' codecs shipping by the end of the year under "more competition has to be good." Zoran filed suit against DTS back in October, claiming that the company wasn't being fair in its codec licensing terms; not surprisingly, Zoran wasn't granted a license. But the suits ironed it all out, and after paying out a settlement that will have a "modestly positive" impact on DTS' financials, Zoran is the latest licensee to the DTS codecs.
QuickTime X leaps forward in Snow Leopard
Seems like only yesterday that QuickTime was at version 7. Oh wait, that was yesterday. Among the many announcements surrounding Snow Leopard we saw a little more of QuickTime X, Apple's next-generation version of the venerable media player/technology/doohickey. While the interface has been totally overhauled, the changes are more than skin deep.QuickTime X is a significant update. For consumers, there won't be a Pro version. Any version will allow simple editing, video/audio capture, and allow you to "publish your media to MobileMe or YouTube -- without worrying about codec formats or resolutions." We're not sure if you'll be able to save as a QuickTime movie or source file as before, but the removal of some previous limits will make QuickTime the snappy iMovie substitute it could be. Plus, QuickTime X will allow you to use any web server to stream live video over HTTP. Can't wait to see what people do with that.In addition to the visible changes, QuickTime X looks like a fundamental rewrite of the application and its underpinnings. Support for Core Audio, Core Video and Core Animation could mean some really interesting things for the future of media playback (not that we weren't promised as much a few years ago, of course). All of this comes wrapped up in Snow Leopard, and takes full advantage of the speed-tuning tech therein.
RED blows away small room of videophiles with 4k RED RAY footage at half the bitrate of MiniDV
While RED has been pretty tight-lipped about its planned RED RAY product, some footage shown off at RED's NAB party gave a sizable hint that RED RAY could be much more than meets the eye -- specifically a $1,000 device that can play cinema-quality 4k video off of standard DVDs. At the party they played an uncompressed showreel of 4k footage on a Sony 4k projector, which clocked in at 1.3GB per second, and then showed that exact same footage under the "RED RAY" codec at a mere 10Mb/s (megabits, not bytes; about half the bitrate of SD DV), at a compression rate of 700:1. Attendees claimed they could see zero visible compression, though a projector in a ballroom isn't exactly the best case scenario to test that sort of thing. Unfortunately, there's little other info about how they're achieving this (we hear "wavelets" come into the equation at some point), or to what nefarious aims, but with compression like this the implications for content distribution are pretty stunning: 1080p+ streaming for all. Naturally, the down side of all of this is probably some pretty hefty processing power on the consumer end, but we'll cross that I/O bridge when we come to it.[Thanks, Ben H]
HD 101: How to use Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD with your PS3
If you read Engadget HD, it's safe to say that you're ahead of the curve when it comes to home audio/video. You do your homework before picking out gear, and you know that the PS3 can deliver Blu-ray audio bliss courtesy lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA tracks. One look at all the configuration options in the PS3's XMB (Xross Media Bar) interface, however, and you might find yourself wondering how to unlock the those audio codecs. In this installment of HD 101, we'll briefly cover the reason for the confusion and then go through setting up your PS3 for lossless audio step-by-step.
Will Windows 7's integrated codec support cut off third party solutions?
Whoa, we may need to slow down on the celebration over out of the box h.264 codec support in Windows 7, with reports from developers indicating the beta OS blocks the usage of third party decoders under Windows Media Player and Media Center. Of course, the included codec support would obviate third party installs for many users anyway, and until we get an official release candidate we can't be sure how things will stack up in the retail experience. Digitalwerks has run down the sources, noting that third party solutions like VLC and Media Player Classic could still serve as workarounds, but Media Center Extender heads will want to keep a close eye on things going forward.
DivX Connected v1.5 now friends with MKV / H.264
DivX Connected v1.4 brought us the highly anticipated addition of Hulu support last September, and now v1.5 is bringing a few extras that are also quite delicious. The v1.5 Beta, which is out this very moment, adds in support for Matroska (MKV) and H.264, though you'll need the newly unleashed DivX 7 installed in order to experience the magic. The entire changelog is surprisingly lengthy, so we'll point you to the read link for those details as well as a download URL. A demonstration vid is just past the break.[Thanks, Karolis]
DivX is not 100% in love with Xbox 360's tone right now, or its unofficial codec support
In case you haven't noticed, official DivX support has become a part of many consumer electronics platforms over the last few years -- but not the Xbox 360. While it will play back many files with DivX and Xvid encoding, DivX VP Jerome Vashist-Rota is still "not very happy" that Microsoft's console works off of unofficial third party support, unlike the DivX Certified PlayStation 3. Of course, considering DivX's history as a reverse engineered version of Microsoft's own MPEG-4 codec some choppiness is to be expected so it's hard to say if that will ever change but let us throw in one more (probably fruitless) request for MKV playback while we're at it.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy & 1UP]
Perian 1.1.3 now available, provides lots of fixes
On Monday, Perian 1.1.3 was released. Perian is a Preference Pane that provides QuickTime with a ton of extra codec support, including: AVI, DivX, and FLV. Version 1.1.3 updates the following aspects of Perian: Enabled Indeo 2/3 decodecs Added external idx/sub (VobSub) support Added support for H.264 and H.263 in FLV containers Apple's decoder now handles Baseline/Main Profile H.264 Fix inconsistent importing for multi-channel audio Reduced memory usage for packed streams Added sanity checks on all preferences Enabled hack to show subtitles in Front Row Fixed negative values in SSA \frz tag Fixed VSFilter bug-compatibility for \an You can learn more about Perian, and download the new update, by visiting the Perian.org website.
High-def audio wiring guide removes the mystery
Granted, we've already shown you how to actually take advantage of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, but if you're looking for a quick and dirty breakdown of what each audio codec means, what it can / can't do and how to wire things up with your current setup, Missing Remote's latest guide is for you. For starters, it hones in on Blu-ray audio format support -- quite relevant given the state of the format war these days -- and it continues on by explaining how to wire things up for superior results with S/PDIF, HDMI, analog, etc. There's even a special section dedicated to HTPC playback, which ought to help you folks not using a pre-fab deck. If you've been spinning your wheels of late in the wide world of multi-channel audio, have a look at the read link and see if things don't clear up.
AlleyInsider: QuickTime on a chip?
Silicon Alley Insider is offering "pure speculation" based on a tip that Apple's Fall future product transition is a video upgrade to Apple products that includes a QuickTime encoder/decoder on a chip. As cool as this would be, I don't personally think it's a significant-enough development to warn investors about. Unless, of course, it's part and parcel of more substantial changes to Apple's product lines. Having video playback functions handled by a separate microprocessor capable of dealing with the variety of media formats that QuickTime handles could yield performance increases for lower-end Macs (with less-powerful video cards) and battery life savings for handheld devices. Also, depending on what codecs are included on-board, it could mean an end to countless hours converting video specifically for your iPhone, iPod touch, or Apple TV. Additionally, MacRumors' Arnold Kim notes that it could be of some use for encoding Blu-Ray video. All I want is DivX AVI playback on my iPod touch. Pretty please?
Breaking: Metal Gear Solid 4 to have really long cutscenes
If you haven't been getting along with Metal Gear Solid's blend of neck-snapping stealth and expository blabbering, the fourth (and sort of final) game in the series is unlikely to sway your opinion. CVG reports that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots features 90 minutes of cutscenes and... wait, hang on. It doesn't contain 90 minutes of cutscenes, but rather, alleged 90-minute cutscenes. If your interest or your attention span doesn't stretch that far, you'll probably have a better time watching a Slinky make its way down a short flight of stairs. Removing the element of sensationalism, however, it should be noted that the article fails to mention where said lengthy cutscenes (which can now be paused) fall within the game. For all we know, they're at the end -- you know, when you're done playing. Even so, this revelation is unlikely to turn away longtime series fans. If anything, we suspect it'll have them even more interested. We certainly are!In other "Why am I waiting so long?" news, alleged images of a Metal Gear Solid 4 store display box have surfaced online, showing a required 4.5GB installation. We've requested comment from Konami.[Thanks, Hashbrown Hunter]Read -- Loooong cutscenesRead -- Biiiig installation
Samsung delays fourth gen BD-P1500 Blu-ray player, adds BD-Live
We can't really see the logic in releasing a Blu-ray player without BD-Live in 2008 -- and neither can Samsung, which just announced its fourth generation BD-P1500 will be BD-Live Ready. The bad news is the May release date announced earlier has slipped to June, and the formerly comfortable $399 MSRP is now a less promising TBA. We're not sure if that "ready" tag means it will be BD-Live enabled out of the gate, however DTS-HD "High resolution" is confirmed on the way in a future firmware update. A slight delay for a significant upgrade in features? We'll allow it.Update: Samsung let us know the press release was in error, the MSRP will remain at $399.
DTS-HD MA Suite toolset hits v1.6, brings Dynamic Automation for DTS Express
NAB Show 2008 is in full swing, and just in case you haven't heard, here's something worth taking a listen at. DTS has just revealed v1.6 of its DTS-HD Master Audio Suite toolset for Blu-ray Disc and DVD production, which includes "numerous highly anticipated file management features [along with] the public release of Dynamic Automation for DTS Express." The latter is an interactive secondary audio codec for BD, and according to Brian Towne, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Division, "the latest feature set empowers content creators with the freedom and flexibility to dynamically vary the primary audio volume, which is essential for picture-in-picture, alternate tracks, director commentaries and other interactive features for Blu-ray Disc." Best of all, DTS Express streams encoded for Blu-ray with MAS v1.6 are playable on Profile 2.0 and Profile 1.1 players, and it's available as a free upgrade (right now) for existing customers.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl's secret Snake codec taunt
An interesting Super Smash Bros. Brawl secret involving Solid Snake's famous codec can be found after the break.
