IntoMobile

Breaking news, information, and analysis on the latest mobile phones and mobile technology

Open NavigationOpen Search
  • Home
  • Platforms
    • iOS / iPhone OS
    • Android
    • Windows Phone
    • BlackBerry OS
  • Hardware
    • New Hardware
    • Tablets
    • Reviews
    • Rumors
  • Carriers
    • AT&T
    • Sprint
    • T-Mobile
    • Verizon
  • Manufacturers
    • Apple
    • Samsung
    • HTC
    • LG
    • Motorola
  • Best VPNs
    • Best VPNs for iPhone
    • Best VPNs for Android

Google drops H.264 support in Chrome

January 11, 2011 by Marc Flores - 3 Comments

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook ( 0 shares )

Google has just discontinued support for the H.264 codec within Chrome, which some see as a bold and possibly bad move on Google’s part. More than anything, many are accusing the search giant of hypocrisy. The reason for Google’s move is that it wants to support the WebM project, which is open unlike H.264, though some are questioning that, too.

Of course, this will make things messy for mobile and for folks like Apple who use H.264 for their products. Google is pushing its own video codec in the name of openness, yet leaves Adobe Flash – closed and proprietary – untouched. Could it have opened up the speculation for its anti-Apple stance even wider?

John Gruber of Daring Fireball says:

A bold move, to be sure. H.264 is widely used. WebM and Theora aren’t. Perhaps this move will push more publishers toward serving video encoded with WebM. The big problem WebM has versus H.264 is that there are hardware decoders for H.264. This is key for mobile devices. It’s the hardware video decoding that allows mobile devices to get such long battery life and smooth performance for video playback. There’s no way publishers can drop H.264. To support Chrome, they’d have to add WebM-encoded versions of each video.

However, Google says  of VP8 benefits on the Chromium blog:

  • Rapid performance improvements in the video encoder and decoder thanks to contributions from dozens of developers across the community
  • Broad adoption by browser, tools, and hardware vendors
  • Independent (yet compatible) implementations that not only bring additional choice for users, publishers, and developers but also foster healthy competition and innovation

Depending on whom you believe, this is either great news or a terrible hypocrisy from Google. But in the end, don’t users care more about the end product than the video encoders used? I mean, your average user just wants to see her damn videos and make sure it doesn’t adversely affect a device’s battery life and hardware.

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook ( 0 shares )

Back to top ▴

Back to top ▴

Follow IntoMobile

38k
36k
4k
13k
12k

Most Recent Posts

  • iPhone No Sound: Tips on How to Fix this Common Issue
  • The newest iOS – things you surely did not know
  • Transferring money through mobile: Why digital wallets are the future of commerce?
  • Review: Shine laser light Bluetooth headphones
  • Neptune Suite smart watch with phone and tablet screens killing it at Indiegogo

Get Updates Via E-Mail

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About IntoMobile

  • About IntoMobile
  • Contact IntoMobile
  • Send us News Tips
  • Privacy Policy

Social Links

  • IntoMobile on Facebook
  • IntoMobile on Twitter
  • IntoMobile on Google+
  • IntoMobile on YouTube

Copyright © 2006-2021 IntoMobile. All rights reserved.