Firefox to open up to video...but not (yet) the video you want

The good news is that Mozilla's popular Firefox browser is getting video support. The bad news is that you probably won't notice.

Why? Because the video codec that is coming to Firefox is not commonly used: Ogg Theora. Firefox will also be adding a new HTML tag to make embedding video easier - no more need to launch Javascript - but, again, the video codec is not the ubiquitous QuickTime, Windows Media, or Flash that people use.

This isn't Mozilla's fault, of course. It's not the one keeping the codecs under lock-and-key. And, of course, this won't change the fact that free plug-ins to enable Firefox to play the popular codecs will continue to exist. It's not as if video has been kept from Firefox (well, except for the fact that I must have Internet Explorer to watch Windows Media-encoded Arsenal preseason matches - Firefox won't cut it).

No, it just means that I won't need a plugin to play Theora content anymore. But who cares? Most people don't use Ogg Theora. Whether they should or not is immaterial. I'd rather see Adobe, Microsoft, and Apple open up their codecs than see Firefox include Ogg Theora. But I guess it's the only one on offer....

[JosefAssad]

I think it's a bit of a broad brush you're painting with, because the implication is that open source technology isn't really worth very much unless it supports proprietary protocols and standards.

Perhaps there needs to be a Theora advocacy movement just as ODF has its grassroots warriors.

[The_Decider]

Firefox has a big enough market share that some will take notice.

The worst thing is adding a non-standard tag. The point of Firefox was to embrace standards, not create extensions.

[JonesDuv]

Well that is the odd thing, it's not really a non-stanadard tag. The and are part of the HTML 5.0 draft, both WC3 and WHATWG happen to outline it well. So far as I have seen, only Mozilla/Opera has begun to impediment the draft. If I am to make a guess, the other browsers are waiting on the draft to be complete or don't care.

[davidshay1]

Ogg/Theora will become a household name once Wikipedia rolls out video later this fall, based on the joint work Wikipedia and Kaltura have been doing in this area. The support for 100% open video using firefox is a crucial step in keeping the future of video on the web open, and keeping the proprietary software vendors open.

[JonesDuv]

I am not so sure that Theora will be propelled by the Wiki world. It would certainly put it up into the eyes of the public, but given how Theora preforms currently I would be hard pressed to say that it would be instantly popular.
That doesn't mean that it's not possible. But I doubt that I will be seeing Theora videos on a PSP/iPod any time soon.... or at all for that matter (but that is another story)

[kaaloo]

Thanks for sharing that David, sounds like an excellent way to spread Ogg / Theora usage and start to take back video on the web.

[ginger_silvia]

Instead of trashing Mozilla for choosing an unknown codec, it would be wise to educate the readers on what Ogg Theora actually is and how it compares to other codecs around and why Mozilla made the decision. What you are not talking about is the enormous cost involved with using proprietary codecs for publishing and distributing video content online, not to speak of the inability to innovate around those formats. This decision is one that is an advantage for everyone using the Internet and it should be pointed out as such.

[BijuGC]

During the time of HTML birth, there existed other document formats like richtext, Word, WordPerfect, Amipro etc. Now HTML has the most number of documents. So Ogg Theora has potential to become #1 video format. If YouTube supports Ogg Theora in no time it can become #1 video format.


Well that is the odd thing, it's not really a non-stanadard tag. The and are part of the HTML 5.0 draft, both WC3 and WHATWG happen to outline it well. So far as I have seen, only Mozilla/Opera has begun to impediment the draft. If I am to make a guess, the other browsers are waiting on the draft to be complete or don't care.


Once in draft at least 2 vendors should implement then only it will be added to W3 recommendation (a.k.a standards).

[JonesDuv]

Well, I would like to say that, but the WC3 HTML WG organized in a different manner. Would 2 browsers implementing Ogg support force their hand? I am not sure.
If the HTML/OGG dust-up at WC3 was anything to show, there will be big pockets that will just keep out of the contrariety. But the Web is a interesting monster, it's the users that decide this ultimately... even if it's becomes part of the official spec if the tags go unused by the majority, then nothing will help Xiph against that tide. If they go used and there is no demand for video, then it's like the many copes of Youtube out there, again... Theora would be sunk by that, and Xiph would only be able to watch.
But if there is some demain for something like this (and there is), when popular or not it helps the web... and it's usful. The trick is mass-consumption Ogg, Firefox might add in that.

[BijuGC]

Well that is the odd thing,
.....the other browsers are waiting on the draft to be complete or don't care.

from
http://news.cnet.com/8601-13505_3-10005304.html?communityId=2016&targetCommunityId=2016&messageId=771352#771352

[Heebee Jeebies]

No what is being said has nothing to do with open source or propritary codec's. What is being said is that if people aren't using the format then it is pointless. People are using the three mentioned I can't remember ever seeing this open source format in use on a site. If it were I wouldn't bother downloading a codec for it because the odds are good it would be for a one time use anyways. Firefox needs to get the copies that have the formats in high use to allow them to include support directly in Firefox. It is not only good for Firefox, but for IE as well and it helps make their formats even more popular. As for a free open source OGG format, forget it this will mean nothing.

Even of the three mentioned as being in high use the one I would want if I could only have one is flash.

[dazirius]

"well, except for the fact that I must have Internet Explorer to watch Windows Media-encoded Arsenal preseason matches - Firefox won't cut it"
Terrible choice of words.
"won't cut it" implies that it's Mozilla's fault.
Proprietary formats suck, we know, but it's not anybody's fault other than the owner of the locked down format.
I might be overreacting, but you could've phrased that differently.

[jrepenning]

What on earth is wrong with "the fact that free plug-ins to enable Firefox to play the popular codecs will continue to exist"? In all the extensibility universe, this one seems to be the most successful and painless.

[JonesDuv]

Because it isn't as painless as it appears.

[rayden54]

What good is putting OGG in Firefox anyway? It won't work in IE. How many web designers would want to alienate more than half their audience?

[SX10 IS]

Ugh! I can't stand Open formats! Compatibility with standard, such as FLV, WMV, MOV, MPEG-4, etc., yeah - but that's why there are plug-ins! The problem with these "open" formats is that you can't play them!

And what's this I hear about needing IE for .wmv?