[Foundation-l] No default codec for <video> and <audio> in HTML5

[Brion Vibber]

Hay (Husky) wrote:
> http://lists.whatwg.org/htdig.cgi/whatwg-whatwg.org/2009-June/020620.html
> 
> Unfortunately OGG Theora didn't make it as the default codec for the
> HTML5 <video> element in the spec. Until one of the two major formats
> (Theora and H264) is clearly the major format the HTML5 spec will not
> specify a default codec for the <video> element.

Technically yes, that's the same state things have been in for a year.

In practice, however... On the desktop browser end, Mozilla, Google, and 
Opera are all supporting Ogg Theora & Vorbis. Microsoft doesn't even 
support <video>, so only Apple is not supporting Ogg out of the box of 
those implementing it so far.

(Desktops are relatively versatile and upgradeable however; mobile 
browsers which can't easily be replaced or given codec plugins might be 
more interesting territory for a codec battle royale.)

-- brion