[whatwg] Video proposals

[Shadow2531]

On 3/15/07, Ian Hickson <ian at hixie.ch> wrote:
> ON PLAYLISTS
>
> On Mon, 30 Oct 2006, Shadow2531 wrote:
> >
> > The handler should also support some type of playlist like
> > <http://www.xspf.org/>.
>
> On Mon, 30 Oct 2006, Charles Iliya Krempeaux wrote:
> >
> > #3: Playlists.  (A single video file just won't cut it.)
>
> These were the only requests for playlists. Could you elaborate on the use
> cases for playlists? What are the needs for playlists?

A video might be split into separate files (chapters). A playlist is
needed to provide consecutive playback without user interaction and to
provide view of your choices. If you've ever watched episodes in parts
on youtube, you might see why this is important.

One could use the events and states to determine when a video is done
playing. Then, the src attribute could be changed to the next video.
The list of videos could be gotten from a JS array or by parsing an
xml playlist via self-written code or some playlist parsing JS
library.

However, what if JS is turned off and you want to do playlists?

<video src="playlist.xspf"></video>

The video element itself would need to handle the playlist. (Unless
you set up links to video pages that where targeted at an iframe. Even
then, user action would be required if consecutive playback was
desired.)

> ON FEATURES
> On Thu, 1 Mar 2007, Shadow2531 wrote:
> >
> > [long list of desired features]
>
> I took your suggestions into account when desiging the API. I got feedback
> from a number of people (including some off-list from people who didn't
> want to express their interest publicly), some of which was contradictory,
> so the proposed API doesn't have everything you asked for. Let me know if
> there's anything that you think is missing that you really wanted.

Understood. Thanks.

> > .loop, .startpos
> > loop = false | true
> > autostart = true | false
> > startpos = 0 | specified pos
>
> Could you elaborate on the use cases for these?

<video src="VideoIWasWatching.ogg">
    <param name="startpos" value="value gotten from cookie where I left off at">
</video>

<video src="AwesomeMusicVideo.ogg">
    <param name="loop" value="true">
</video>

Page where a user is expecting a video to play.
<video src="file.ogg">
    <param name="autostart" value="true">
</video>

Index page for example where a video starting up might not be expected.
<video src="file.ogg">
    <param name="autostart" value="false">
    <p>This is my index page</p>
</video>
(From the list and the spec, it looks like the video will never play
on its own. It looks like you have to invoke play() with js or nothing
will ever happen.)

Again though, autostart, loop and startpos could be simulated with the
events and states provided.

However, what if JS is turned off?

You need params to provide initial state. JS should only be needed for
controlling/interface stuff. If you just want to have a video load and
play till the end (and loop possibly), that shouldn't require JS.

However, if JS is needed for the video element to function at all,
then the video element needs to fall back if JS is turned off.

> On Thu, 1 Mar 2007, Shadow2531 wrote:
> >
> > I think it'd be cool if the video element *just* supported theora.
>
> Supporting only one encoding is not going to fly: you can't stop browser
> vendors from adding features; and you want to allow the standard to evolve
> over time.

Understood. The SHOULD for theora is good enough.

-- 
burnout426