WebM Overview

WebM (.webm) is a new video container used to encode video. The video codec is VP8 which is the newest in a long line of video codecs created by ON2 (who has been acquired by Google). VP6 has been used in Flash, VP7 used for video conferencing with Skype and now VP8 is becoming the new format for web video. The audio codec is Vorbis (ogg), an exceptional audio codec that performs better than a mp3 with much smaller file size.

WebM Rights & Licensing

WebM is released using an open-source, royalty free license. It does not cost browser/hardware manufactures or publishers anything to use. It can also be incorporated into closed-source commercial products at no cost.

This is a contrast from h.264 which is heavily patented and costs browser/hardware manufactures millions a year in royalties. These royalties may also be added to publishers in 2015.

WebM Quality

WebM is the equivalent to base-line h.264 when it comes to quality. h.264 can produce higher quality video with higher bitrates and settings, but most mobile devices and netbooks can only decode base-line h.264 videos. WebM also required 40% less CPU usage than h.264. This will allow WebM a broader range of devices and hardware that will be able to decode SD or HD video.

WebM Playback

WebM playback is currently being used by YouTube and tested on a few sites across the web. The number of publishers using it will increase as viewers update their browsers, Adobe Flash and Silverlight. Currently every new browser being released (IE9 in 2011, with the exception of Safari), Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight (Raw AV-Pipeline) and many hardware manufacturers are on board.

h.264 is supported by the newest releases of Safari, Chrome (IE9 in 2011), Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight and many hardware manufacturers. It will never be supported by Firefox or Opera because of the patents and costs.

Based on the adoption thus far and licensing behind WebM, it seems to be the new emerging standard for web video (Flash, Silverlight and HTML5) to replace h.264 in the future … until the next codec is released.

Posted By: Beau Durrant