H264 Vs Webm videos
The H264 Video file format
The H.264 file extension is used for H.264 encoded video files. This video compression format is one of the most popular today, especially for high definition video. This type of file has the ability to record video and manage video compression and distribution. The first launch of this format took place in mid 2003. Its latest editions have improved its functionalities. The H.264 format is frequently used in AVCHD video recorders and HD DVD and Blu-ray players.
Technical details about H264 files
The H.264 format was created to develop a method of providing high video quality while maintaining the low bit rates that have been used in the past. Developers wanted to avoid complex design, maintain a reasonable cost level, and give the format enough flexibility to support its extensive use. The H.264 file is usually named incorrectly because in many cases it is an MP4 file. The H.264 component is a video compression codec and you need a container to store the video file is in question.
Webm format
With the support of Google, in 2010 a new multimedia file format was launched on the Internet. WebM represents an open source alternative to other video formats (especially MP4) and is primarily intended for use on the Internet in combination with HTML5. But what can the WebM format do that other video formats cannot?
What is the WebM?
WebM is a container format (with * .webm extension) for multimedia files, that is, for videos and audio files. In the same container, the VP8 and VP9 video codecs are used, as well as the Vorbis and Opus audio codecs. At the Google I / 0 2010 conference, the company announced its plan for WebM to be an alternative to the existing MP4 format with its H.264 codec from the start. The consumer can use the latter free of charge when viewing a video, but developers who want to work with the codec must pay the license fees. By contrast, WebM is an open source project that anyone can work with without having to pay royalties for it.
WebM is intended for use with HTML5. The VP8 and VP9 codecs are designed so that in those cases where considerable compression must be carried out, extraction can still take place with little computing power. The objective of this design is to allow the reproduction of Internet videos on practically any device (regardless of whether it is a desktop computer, a tablet, a smartphone or a multimedia device such as a Smart TV). It is no wonder that YouTube, being a subsidiary of Google, converts all its videos to WebM format, regardless of the original file format. Regardless, Youtube still supports H.264 for those who can’t play WebM.
WebM has become a political issue within the Internet community. While Google tries with all its strength to consolidate this audio and video format, other important market players such as Apple or Microsoft cling to formats such as MP4. The main reason is, above all, the patent system: both software companies use a patent pool from MPEG-LA, as MPEG-LA is in charge of keeping the patents of the used codecs and collecting copyrights for them. Google is trying to circumvent these patents with WebM.
This situation has already led to legal problems in the past, with the VP8 codec being the point of contention. Several companies have criticized that their codec patent has been ignored. Google would have reached an agreement with MPEG LA, however, Nokia is not part of this patent pool and believes that its rights have been ignored. A first lawsuit, in which the company faced its competitor HTC, whose devices support V8, was dismissed in court by the Mannheim regional court.
