With the support of Google, a new multimedia file format appeared on the Internet in 2010. WebM is an open source alternative to other video formats (especially MP4) and is primarily designed for use on the Internet in combination with HTML5. But what can this WebM format do that other video formats cannot?
WebM is a container format (with the file extension * .webm) for multimedia files, that is, videos and audio files. The VP8 and VP9 video codecs, as well as the Vorbis and Opus audio codecs, are used in the container itself. First announced at the Google I / 0 2010 conference, WebM was planned from the outset as an alternative to the existing MP4 format with its H.264 codec. The latter can be used at no cost to consumers when viewing a video, but developers who want to work with the codec must pay license fees. WebM, on the other hand, is an open source project that anyone can work on without paying any fees.
WebM is designed to be used with HTML5. The VP8 and VP9 codecs are designed in such a way that although a lot of compression occurs, little computing power is required to unpack. The purpose of this concept is to enable streaming videos on the internet on almost all devices (be it desktop computers, tablets, smartphones, or multimedia devices like smart TVs). Therefore, it is not surprising that YouTube, as a subsidiary of Google, converts all videos to the WebM format, regardless of the original file format. However, YouTube continues to support H.264 for those who cannot play WebM.
WebM has now become a political issue in the Internet community. While Google is trying with all its might to establish the audio and video format, other big players in the market like Apple or Microsoft are sticking to formats like MP4. The reason for this is mainly the patent system: the two software companies are in the patent pool.
WebM Player: How to use WebM?
WebM is compatible with some of the main web browsers out of the box: Chrome, Chromium, Firefox and Opera do not require any additional installation to reproduce the format. Microsoft Edge requires an additional plugin. Apple’s Safari can also be upgraded to play the WebM format, at least on the desktop version. It becomes troublesome for iPhone and iPad users – they have to install additional software to be able to play the video format on their devices.
WebM vs. MP4 – pros and cons
While WebM is still relatively young, MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) and H.264 have been used for many years. Since then, that has made the older format and codec a standard – you will find few use cases where MP4 is not supported. In addition to Internet services and PC / Mac software, many devices (eg video cameras) can also handle MP4. The high level of acceptance makes the format interesting for both manufacturers and users.
But Google scores with the open source nature of WebM: using the format does not incur any cost to manufacturers, developers or end users. Furthermore, the software is distributed under the open BSD license.
The licensing network behind MP4 and H.264 is opaque – most users, even those who create professional videos, don’t even know if they can already have a valid license by purchasing hardware or software or if they have a valid license for each video. the license rights violated. With WebM, this mess is eliminated. However, as early as 2010, MPEG LA announced that the use of the H.264 codec will remain free in the future as long as the created videos are available to users for free.
