The Missing Link: Flash to HTML5

Session Notes

Session Type: Working group

Session Category: Open Media Developers

Session Leader: Silvia Pfeiffer (Google), Zohar Babin (Kaltura)

Day: Saturday
Time: 2:30pm – 4:00pm
Room: W303

Description

HTML5 has introduced the <video> and <audio> elements as well as an API that lets JavaScript control and interact with the media playback. However, there are still many player api interoperability issues between browsers and a lack of functionality in comparison to, for example, Adobe Flash.

After years of experience, Flash has arrived at an Open Source Media Framework (OSMF) as a framework for building robust, feature-rich video players and applications. This includes functionality that goes beyond the mere video playback and addresses issues of video distribution, advertising, tracking, playlists, timed metadata and syndication, see http://www.osmf.org/about.html.

This session provides HTML5 video player developers with an opportunity to express their needs and explore features in HTML5 video that they are missing. In discussion with HTML5 browser developers we will clarify if these features are already being worked on, are in scope for HTML5, can be achieved in other ways or need to indeed be worked on as new items for the W3C.

Outcome

This session will discuss potential shortcomings in HTML5 for the practices of monetising media.

One possible outcome could be a list of features that still require standardisation in HTML5, or the design of a JavaScript library that will provide some of the OSMF features in a cross-platform manner.

Other documents of recommendation or best practices could also result from this session.

Notes

Zohar Babin, Kaltura
Silvia Pfeiffer, Google

Where do you think we should go with HTML5?

  • ease of use; e.g. drag and drop API is 3 lines in Flash, but really complicated in HTML5
  • lack of authoring tools
  • fragmentation of features
  • is innovation getting in the way of colaboration?

WRITE BUG REPORTS if browser implementations are giving you headaches

Bug Trackers:

  • W3C spec
  • Individual Browsers

Use Cases

  • AppendBytes, editable byte arrays, the netstream concept -- Dependent on OS media framework
    • Low Level Video APIs
    • DVR (high speed seeking within buffers) on livestreams
    • netstream file construction
      • Adaptive Streaming
      • Video Editing
      • Multiplexing
      • Syncronized Media: @mediagroup has been developed as a solution
      • Software Transcoding

sourceAppend API: http://html5-mediasource-api.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/draft-spec/mediasource-draft-spec.html

canvas.getMediaStream() is another way forward

the biggest issue is: how to use canvas with capturing video frames without losing any data, i.e. in a synchronised manner -> we need timestamps in canvas media frames

  • DRM
    • What hooks do we need
    • data over RTP
    • encryption key should be published
    • secure key exchange
    • proxy opaque DRM messages over HTTP
    • is applicable to many other areas in addition to media (ecrypted messaging, etc.)
    • JS needs to be delivered over HTTPS or as signed JS
    • what is the patent situation?

Other sessions cover these topics:

  • adaptive streaming: appendBytes
  • analytics/QOS
  • device and camera

Topics for Monday breakouts:

  • appendBytes
  • DVR on live streams, seeking
  • DRM
  • video editing
  • fullscreen
  • playlist and gapless playback, high level html tags

Additional Topics:

  • file metadata
  • hw acceleration for video playback and compositing
  • social viewing