Codecs for <video> and <audio>

After an inordinate amount of discussions, both in public and privately, 
on the situation regarding codecs for <video> and <audio> in HTML5, I have 
reluctantly come to the conclusion that we have no way to get consensus on 
this issue. In particular, I am not aware of any codec that every browser 
vendor is willing to implement and that video publishers are interested in 
using to publish their videos.

I have therefore removed the two subsections in the HTML5 spec in which 
codecs would have been required, and have instead left the matter 
undefined, as has in the past been done with other features like <img> and 
image formats, <embed> and plugin APIs, or Web fonts and font formats.

If anyone knows of another way to get consensus on this issue, please do 
let the working group know.

-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'

Received on Tuesday, 30 June 2009 04:50:55 UTC