When you hear about tech giants like Google, Netflix, Microsoft, and Amazon joining forces to create something, you typically standby excitedly to find out what. Good news: you don’t need to wait. Amazon, Cisco, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Mozilla, and Netflix have teamed up to create the Alliance for Open Media, and are banding together to create a new open source video format.
REPLACING FLASH
Internet savvy users probably noticed that three of the named companies happen to make three of the most popular web browsers in the world, and the others have developed online video players used by millions and millions of people every day.
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Having an open format video player means that all of these companies can work together to create a new standard video format that can be used all across the web. News of the Alliance for Open Media couldn’t have come at a better time since Google has recently banned Flash content from its web browser, Google Chrome.
A NEW OPEN SOURCE VIDEO FORMAT
So far there isn’t a name for the new open source video format, but there are still plenty of other details we already know about it. First up: the new format is specifically designed with streaming in mind. Google and the gang want to make sure that the format can be utilized by low-powered devices. Companies like Netflix will also require the format to have copy protection supported natively.
Being open-source means companies who want to build software utilizing the new format won’t have to worry about paying licensing fees or anything of the like. Developers will be free to create just about anything they want using the format.
ONE CODEC TO RULE THEM ALL
One criticism aimed at the Alliance for Open Media is the addition of yet another standard in a world that’s already full of them. Mozilla has Daala, Cisco has Thor, and Google has VP10. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but supporting them all can lead to major headaches for developers.
However, this is exactly why companies like Google and Mozilla are teaming together. Monitors can come in a multitude of resolutions and refresh rates. Supporting them all requires a lot of support on the developer end. The Alliance for Open Media hopes to bring all of the existing codecs together to create one comprehensive solution.
Incidentally, there are a few big names missing – namely Apple and Facebook. Apple isn’t known for playing well with others. The company likes to create everything in-house, and if rumors are true, Apple hopes to be creating a direct competitor to Netflix. In other words, don’t expect Apple to chip in.
