Re: Codecs for <video> and <audio>

On Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:57:56 +0200, Doug Schepers <schepers@w3.org> wrote:

> Hi, Hixie-
>
>> On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 6:14 PM, Ian Hickson <ian@hixie.ch
>> <mailto:ian@hixie.ch>> wrote:
>> (I've also received requests from browser vendors to not
>> require WAVE support in the first place, though I have up to this
>> point managed to convince them to keep WAVE support regardless.)
>
> Now both Robert O'Callahan (Mozilla) and David Singer (Apple) have  
> questioned this decision not to include WAV/PCM.  While I'm not saying  
> they necessarily represent the official views of their companies, it  
> does seem to be at odds with the claim that browser vendors want you to  
> remove the audio codec; I doubt Microsoft or Opera has a problem with it  
> either.

For the record, Opera has no problem with requiring WAV/PCM in the spec,  
but will support it regardless of the spec.

> Can you please cite the public source for these codec-removal requests?  
>   Who exactly has asked for this, and are you sure they speak for that  
> browser vendor?  I'm not at all convinced that you are reflecting the  
> will of the browser vendors on this, nor representing the interests of  
> authors or users.
>
>
>> It hasn't really been necessary, browser vendors have historically
>> implemented similar formats without the HTML spec having to get  
>> involved.
> ...
>> I don't think that mandating formats actually affects what browsers
>> implement, in practice. We can only mandate what they're already willing
>> to implement anyway.
>
> I hold HTML5 to a higher standard of precision than previous HTML specs,  
> and I know you have as well.  I think it is very ill-advised for you to  
> change your position now, especially on so crucial an issue as this.
>
>
> Regards-
> -Doug Schepers
> W3C Team Contact, SVG and WebApps WGs
>
>
> David Singer wrote (on 6/30/09 9:47 AM):
>> Yes, I am kinda puzzled.  The fact that some formats are not suitable
>> for all kinds of content doesn't make them unsuitable for use. Wave/PCM,
>> and AVI/MotionJpeg+PCM are easily supported and OK for some uses (short
>> content).
>>
>> The downside to requiring them would be the implication that requirement
>> implies recommendation, that's all.
>>
>>
>> At 21:13 +1200 30/06/09, Robert O'Callahan wrote:
>>> On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 6:14 PM, Ian Hickson <ian@hixie.ch
>>> <mailto:ian@hixie.ch>> wrote:
>>>
>>>     I didn't really see much value in having the section purely to
>>>     require a
>>>
>>>     small subset of WAVE functionality. WAVE in this context is only
>>>     really
>>>     useful during development, and since codecs are going to be a mess
>>>     anyway,
>>>     the author can just use whatever debugging-specific codec his main  
>>> UA
>>>     supports instead.
>>>
>>>
>>> Wave PCM is perfectly adequate for short sounds. It's fine for
>>> auditory cues in user interfaces. It's fine for most sound effects in
>>> games.
>>>
>>>     (I've also received requests from browser vendors to not
>>>     require WAVE support in the first place, though I have up to this
>>>     point
>>>     managed to convince them to keep WAVE support regardless.)
>>>
>>>
>>> That baffles me. I can't think of any reason someone would have a
>>> problem supporting Wave PCM.
>>>
>>> Rob
>>> --
>>> "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
>>> iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by
>>> his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each
>>> of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the
>>> iniquity of us all." [Isaiah 53:5-6]
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> David Singer
>> Multimedia Standards, Apple Inc.
>


-- 
Philip Jägenstedt
Core Developer
Opera Software

Received on Friday, 3 July 2009 09:26:13 UTC