[ Thanks to An Anonymous Reader for
this link. ]
“The search for the next-generation video codec for the
open web has reached an impasse. Few of the options are truly open
or free, and those that are free are not being pushed by the major
forces.“Apple’s iPad, like the iPhone, will not support Flash video for
technical and commercial reasons. Instead, Apple has pledged
support for HTML 5 and the H.264 format.“This move has been praised in many places for apparently
showing support for web standards in the shape of HTML 5 and for
shunning the proprietary format in the shape of Flash, which is
owned by Adobe.“Conversely, the developers of the free software browser Firefox
take the position that they cannot — and will not —
support the H.264 format because the codec is patent- and
royalty-encumbered, which inhibits its use with free and
open-source software.“Although H.264 has some technical advantages and has been
recognised as an industry standard for implementations of HTML 5, a
shift to the format could have a sting in the tail for the open
web.”