Re: CfC: Create Media Task Force

On Wed, Apr 11, 2012 at 4:07 PM, Mark Watson <watsonm@netflix.com> wrote:

> On Apr 10, 2012, at 6:47 PM, "Robert O'Callahan" <robert@ocallahan.org>
> wrote:
> > Obviously the W3C should not bless, or be seen as blessing, a
> specification that cannot be interoperably implemented. Therefore, the
> Media TF needs to be constituted to ensure that it either produces a spec
> that can be interoperably implemented (e.g., Encrypted Media plus details
> of the CDMs that will be used and how any UA can access them), or nothing
> at all. If this condition can't be imposed from the outset, then I oppose
> creating the TF.
>

> Just for my understanding, do you mean that a detailed API should be
> defined for CDMs (in any particular language?), or that some or all CDMs
> themselves must be fully specified ? (Or something else?)
>

I think there are multiple possible ways to meet this goal for each CDM.

One way would be to have the complete workings of the CDM
documented/specified in enough detail that it can be freely reimplemented;
this would be ideal, but I don't expect it to happen, since that I assume
any CDM so documented would fail the Hollywood placebo test.

Alternatively, for a platform that offers built-in DRM API, you could
define a CDM that maps onto that API, and explain the mapping in enough
detail that any UA running on that platform could implement it.

Alternatively, for a proprietary DRM product, you could define a CDM that
maps onto that product and explain that mapping in enough detail that any
UA running where that product is present could implement it.

Thanks,
Rob
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