[LINK] Ogg Vorbis and Theora removed from HTML5

[Marghanita da Cruz]

Alastair Rankine wrote:
> Kim Holburn wrote:
>> On 2007/Dec/17, at 12:07 AM, Alastair Rankine wrote:
>>
>>> I support the intent behind this change. It should not be up to the 
>>> HTML spec to recommend (and it was only a recommendation) any 
>>> specific video codec, regardless of the merits (or otherwise) of any 
>>> one of them.
>>>
>>> The HTML spec should be reasonably stable and not subject to the 
>>> turbulence that exists around video compression technology and 
>>> associated intellectual property issues. A change in technology or 
>>> licensing could, for example, instantly render the Ogg recommendation 
>>> obsolete (or at least a lot less clear-cut).
>>
>> The spec recommends particular image compression technologies and they 
>> have not always been unencumbered and the same gotchas apply to them 
>> too and yet where would we be without images on the www?  Same for 
>> audio - hasn't bgsound been around for a while with the same issues.
> 
> OMG where would the web be today without <bgsound> !? :)
> 
> Seriously, I think the spec should also refrain from recommending 
> formats for other types of media to be embedded in HTML. The HTML 4 spec 
> authors apparently feel the same way; at least I can't find anywhere in 
> the spec where they recommend one image format over another (the closest 
> they come is to *list* some that are "widely supported"). Please 
> enlighten me if I've overlooked it anywhere.
> 
> One of the mailing list participants (as per the link from Marghanita) 
> made the point that none of the participants in the WG are experts in 
> intellectual property issues. Would you really want to drag them into 
> this discussion all over a single SHOULD clause?
> 
> I support the adoption of an interoperable standard for video formats 
> (and container, and audio, and subtitles, and metadata, and ...) but the 
> HTML spec isn't the place to do it.

The issue with the HTML5 spec, is that it is currently trying to be all things 
to all people - compliance of Browsers which in turn affects what authors use.

The parallels with the graphic formats are relevant. There has been discussion 
on what should be in the equivalent of <img>  noting, there are suggestions that 
this should be deprecated in favour of object.

For Video/Audio there has been discussion about the relevant/equivalent 
components - first frame and control requirements. For those with Firefox you 
can check out streaming Canadian radio now at
<http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/advocate/2007-09/msg00002.html>

Marghanita








-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au
Phone: (+61)0414 869202