Google Chrome has announced that it is going to drop support for H.264 in HTML5 tag in Chrome. Instead, Google will focus on its own format WebM which is a fusion of styles VP8 and Vorbis.
Google decided to pick sides, much like Mozilla and Opera, in an effort to encourage developers to use WebM. Right now, the only important website that uses WebM is YouTube, Google’s video sharing service.
The H.264 format is supported by Apple and Microsoft, while WebM supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera. The H.264 has the advantage that it already serves as an unofficial industry standard used by a wide range of devices, ranging from Blu-Ray DVD players, satellite receivers and iPhones for Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight.
Firefox doesn’t support H.264, either. It can’t, and never will by default, because H.264 is a licensed codec. This is a smart move by Google, as it would put pressure on Apple and Microsoft to support more than just H.264 in their browsers.
