# Google to Open Source the VP8 Codec



## Mumbodog (Oct 3, 2007)

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http://newteevee.com/2010/04/12/google-to-open-source-vp8-for-html5-video/



> "HTML5 has the potential to capture the online video market from Flash by providing an open standard for web video  but only if everyone can agree on a codec. So far Adobe and Microsoft support H.264 because of the video quality, while Mozilla has been backing Ogg Theora because it's open source. Now it looks like Google might be able to end the squabble by making the VP8 codec it bought from On2 Technologies open source and giving everyone what they want: high-quality encoding that also happens to be open. Sure, Chrome and Firefox will support it. But can Google get Safari and IE on board?"


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## loserOlimbs (Jun 19, 2004)

This might be enough to give Chrome an advantage for the average user if they release the codec, and push "upgrade to Chrome for a faster Youtube experience".

Microsoft will likely chase Chrome at that point to slow Chrome adoption... Apple, who knows.


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## tomdkat (May 6, 2006)

These kinds of fights really frustrate me. I get the H.264 licensing issues. I imagine Firefox would get some kind of extension to bridge the H.264 gap, if necessary. If VP8 can really compete with H.264, that might change the landscape quite a bit. Something tells me H.264 will win out since it's so popular with those doing video encoding. H.264 is recommended for "best results" on YouTube as well.

HTML5 is neat and hopefully Microsoft will support it adequately in IE9.

Peace...


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## loserOlimbs (Jun 19, 2004)

A nice thing about Open Source... it can improved by anyone with programming knowledge, a good codec based on VP8 could easily be made by anyone (Google could even improve the format before releasing it as OS), and it can take off as fast as major sites like the Google own Youtube want it to.


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## tomdkat (May 6, 2006)

loserOlimbs said:


> A nice thing about Open Source... it can improved by anyone with programming knowledge, a good codec based on VP8 could easily be made by anyone (Google could even improve the format before releasing it as OS), and it can take off as fast as major sites like the Google own Youtube want it to.


Yep. We'll see if making VP8 open source helps it better compete with H.264. Open source technologies that work well make life a lot easier for those of us on platforms with less market penetration than Windows. 

Peace...


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## loserOlimbs (Jun 19, 2004)

Ubuntu User 

I use Windows and Linux, and Open Source is actually a great benefit to both, even my Blackberry gets to benefit from alot of great, free and open software! I hardly have to buy anything, when their are cross platform version of OS available for most anything!


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## tomdkat (May 6, 2006)

Yep, that be me.  I've been fortunate in that I've been able to do pretty well with an almost exclusive open source software based computing environment. I do use some closed source apps but I haven't purchased software for my system in years. 

Peace...


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## Mumbodog (Oct 3, 2007)

> VP8: The Savior Codec?


http://multimedia.cx/eggs/vp8-the-savior-codec/

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## tomdkat (May 6, 2006)

Thanks for the link. VP8 looks pretty good in the demo shot in that article.

I disagree with this:



> Flash-Killa
> It would be disingenuous to omit the Flash-killer angle driving so much of the fervent anticipation surrounding the VP8 speculation. VP8 goes open source => all major browsers adopt it overnight as a standard video codec for HTML5 video => blight of Adobe Flash is eradicated the following week, *since Flash's only use is as a naive video player*. Things move just that quickly. I've covered this ground already.


That's just not true but VP8 could certainly take over the embedded video role Flash is currently serving.

Overall, I'm getting excited about VP8 being open source. 

Peace...


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