Given the many parallel projects to bring ogg theora into the many browser platforms it can easily get confusing. In this post I will give an update on the embed video projects that I have been following in the development of the latest mv_embed script. This script is a rewrite of the mv embed script with the intentions of bridging support for video tag from the html5 spec to non html5 browsers. Once the mv_embed script is included it goes through the page and rewrites all the html5 video tags with whatever playback method the client supports, letting web developers use the future html5 video tag today! See the sample page.
The script works by creating a html element / javascript object that mapps html 5 video tag javascript calls to the appropriate methods on clients supported playback system. Obviously not all of the html5 features will be supported for every playback method, but the idea is to build robust support for basic video embeding while letting web users immediately take advantage of simplicity of usage for embeding theora video.
Native (html5) browser support for ogg media is developing nicely…Chris Double is working on ogg video support for firefox3, experimental builds of Opera have been shown to support it, and the oggplay plugin is under very active development as a firefox plugin for the win, linux and osx platforms. Even an ActiveX version for IE is planned. The mv_embed script should detect any of these “native” support mechanism and do nothing. As these playback systems should more or less conform to the html5 spec.
But for all the existing browsers: the mv_embed script looks for existing methods to decode ogg video. Initially I am only targeting the vlc plugin for *near* html5 support. Basic video playback with the html5 tag will be supported via the java cortado applet & any plugin that registers the mime type: application/ogg such as mplayer, totem, or xine.
Future versions can extend the base javascript embed video object to implement more complete support of the html5 spec with plugins. Also we will improve the cortado applet so that it exposes the necessary javascript hooks for more complete html5 support. And we will also want to get the cortado applet signed and hosted somewhere so that ogg embedding is further simplified and the mv_embed javascript can be referenced on a different domain than the ogg media.
adoption update:
Just a quick note on the adoption front, wikimedia commons now supports inline playback of ogg audio/video media via a iframe very cool! great work maikmerten and gmaxwell
It’s actually “Wiki_m_edia Commons” - Wikipedia is only a part (probably the biggest one, but still…) of the Wikimedia family.
Comment by kocio — June 8, 02007 @ 4:07 am
fixed …thanks for the correction
Comment by dale — June 8, 02007 @ 1:51 pm
That’s damn awesome. I’m going to employ these newer methods to distribute my ogg videos. Free video is hard to argue with. I’m also going to make available a [lossy, lossless] video and audio codec pair to the Xiph.org foundation to further the reaches of free video and audio software (as well as put it in Java applets).
As a side note, has anybody done any work on a J2ME application for application/ogg? I took a look at the Cortado source code, and I’m considering doing it myself. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, but I suspect J2ME programming is still a rarity because it’s so new.
Comment by Brian Croner — June 18, 02007 @ 7:26 pm
Why develop serval plug-ins for several OSses and several browsers? The Cortado-player (http://www.flumotion.net/cortado/) is already capable of playing OGG media in browsers using a Java-applet. IMHO, that’s a far better sollution than requiring users to install some kind of plug-in, since Java comes pre-installed with almost every computer.
Comment by Randy Simons — June 21, 02007 @ 6:17 am
In response to Randy. Native playback enables new interfaces like putting div or png elements ontop of the video, quicker page load times as you don’t have to download and initialize the applet, easier usage as you don’t have to deal with java’s cross domain access issues (ie the html page does not have to come from the same domain as the video), Native playback enables higher resolutions and hardware accelerated video rendering & fullscreen playback. Some browsers /platforms don’t have java applet support by default… and finally the goal of plugins is a way to transition to native browser support. ie firefox3 and new version of Opera will have ogg playback built in.
That being said, the Cortado player is an excellent back up method and is used by the mv_embed script and the metavid site
Comment by dale — June 23, 02007 @ 11:03 pm
Dear Diary of a Guy Without Enough Friends,
Well here I am 2 months later and I have completed the first video encoding (8 yuv420p 420×640 frames) using my codec. Very slow in its current form. Ogg is a good container format, but incompatible with my particular paradigm. I keep thinking about ogg/theora/vorbis. It’s incremental in improvement over mpg/mpeg1/mp2. Not revolutionary in improvement. Things just don’t get outside the box enough unless you have a troubled rogue working the ropes. I think people want what they want, and don’t care about much else. The only thing I’m bad at is being compatible with other people, which when combined with my ridiculous intelligence and related personality quirks renders incompetitive my competitive edge. I think I’ll purposely try to be stupid and lazy, from my point of view. Maybe then I’ll solve my personal problems better. Everything wrong with me is in my head.
Comment by Brian Croner — August 17, 02007 @ 5:27 pm
Great info, video embeding is def the future!
Comment by train horn — August 20, 02007 @ 7:46 pm
I just read an article on Web 3.0 and now I read this another mind-blowing technological leap. How can we cope with this change?
Comment by Tubag Bohol — August 22, 02007 @ 3:01 am
Yeah, some good points made, however there are always two sides to a story so I’m not sure I completly agree.
Comment by Dave — August 24, 02007 @ 5:10 am
Great read, I can’t wait till video embedding is the norm.
Comment by Nate — September 11, 02007 @ 4:49 am
I just read a news article this weekend that says Google is about to release embeded ad videos from the main results pages at google.com. How weird will that be?
Comment by train horn — February 25, 02008 @ 9:16 am
Yep, it’s just around the corner. It will be pretty crazy when the internet & TV are combined into one media source. I think we’re about 10 years from that point.
Comment by dropship — March 1, 02008 @ 2:31 pm
There’s no doubt it’s coming, the question is when. With the iPhone & all the other crazy devices that have come out in the past 2 years, I’d say it’s right around the corner!!!
Comment by dave counter — March 1, 02008 @ 2:33 pm
Not 10 years away, we just need higher speed backbones to do it. In Tampa Florida we have fiber internet 15MBPS speeds out provider also supplies digital cable and voip phone service. All of this you are speaking of and more is coming.
Comment by Ephena — March 9, 02008 @ 7:34 pm
I saw that Cortado Player can play OGG media through a Java Applet.
This could be a better solution because users will not have to install any plug in.
Java comes installed on most computers these days.
This would also solve the problem of different browsers or operating systems.
Comment by Train Horn — March 13, 02008 @ 3:04 am
Great to see open source is helping out here!
Regards,
Open Source in Israel
Comment by Nick — March 27, 02008 @ 8:08 am
This is interesting news… definitely the next evolution of web is embedded video!
Comment by law — March 27, 02008 @ 12:27 pm
Well another embed video evolution. . . well lets hope. Too many times in the past I’ve watched great ideas never pick up, or get distributed properly.
Comment by Missy Monroe — April 11, 02008 @ 8:20 pm
good
Comment by eve isk — April 16, 02008 @ 5:18 pm
Great stuff, however the html5 video sample page is broken. Please fix it as I would love to see it in action.
Comment by Aoleon — April 17, 02008 @ 5:38 am
There’s a javascript code (mv_embed i think?) which goes through the DOM and replaces all video elements with a playback method that the clients browser supports,
If it supports HTML 5 then it does nothing.
Comment by canadabizmart.com - businesses for sale — April 25, 02008 @ 9:39 pm
yea canadabizmart check out Mv_Embed here on metavid
Comment by dale — April 26, 02008 @ 9:10 am
great post
great news for video sites
Comment by james — April 26, 02008 @ 4:42 pm
In Eastgermany we also have fiber internet, so the future für html5 start now
Comment by Studium — May 20, 02008 @ 10:01 am
The Inet getting faster and faster. Look at the Ajaxtechnologie it performance better speed with better usability
Comment by Fernstudium — May 20, 02008 @ 10:02 am
Wow, this is trully awesome, this is quite an achievement! Any update news on the project?
Comment by Geek — May 30, 02008 @ 6:07 pm
Awesome project, can’t wait to see the result from this.
Comment by Mechanic — June 18, 02008 @ 11:40 am
Yeah, me too!
Comment by Ryan — June 21, 02008 @ 3:03 pm
wow.. what an interesting post.. thanks
Comment by Babynamen — June 23, 02008 @ 8:45 pm
thank you
Comment by webmaster blog — June 30, 02008 @ 11:13 am
@ Mv_embed will then rewrite the video tag to whatever playback method is available on the client be it native support, java cortado, mplayer, vlc or oggplay
Really cool cause u dont need adobe flash anymore !!
It will be an fantastic option for poor students on restricted university such I.We don’t have flash installed.
Comment by funny jokes girl — July 1, 02008 @ 5:26 pm
Last time I was in my Google Adwords account it mentioned video ads, so I do believe the title of this page is right on; “the future is now!”
Comment by Dave Hermansen — July 2, 02008 @ 2:10 pm