[whatwg] Timed tracks: feedback compendium

[Bruce Lawson]

On Sat, 25 Dec 2010 06:39:02 -0000, Ian Hickson <ian at hixie.ch> wrote:

[...]

>
> On Fri, 5 Nov 2010, Bruce Lawson wrote:
>>
>> http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/complete/video.html#sourcing-in-band-timed-tracks
>> says to create TimedTrack objects etc for in-band tracks which are then
>> exposed in the API - so captions/subtitles etc that are contained in the
>> media container file are exposed, as well as those tracks pointed to by
>> the <track> element.
>>
>> But
>> http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/complete/video.html#timed-track-api
>> implies that the array is only of tracks in the track element:
>>
>> "media . tracks . length
>>
>> Returns the number of timed tracks associated with the media element
>> (e.g. from track elements). This is the number of timed tracks in the
>> media element's list of timed tracks."
>
> I don't understand why you interpret this as implying anything about the
> track element. Are you interpreting "e.g." as "i.e."?
>
>
>> Suggestion: amend to say "Returns the number of timed tracks associated
>> with the media element (e.g.  from track elements and any in-band track
>> files inside the media container file)" or some such.
>
> I'd rather avoid talking about the in-band ones here, in part because I
> think it's likely to confuse authors at least as much as help them, and  
> in
> part because the terminology around in-band timed tracks is a little
> unclear to me and so I'd rather not talk about them in informative text.  
> :-)
>
> If you disagree, though, let me know. I can find a way to make it work.

I disagree, but not aggressively vehemently. My confusion was conflating  
"track elements" with the three instances of the phrase "timed tracks" in  
close proximity.

I suggest that "Returns the number of timed tracks associated with the  
media element (i.e. from track elements and any packaged along with the  
media in its container file)" would be clearer and avoid use of the  
confusing phrase "in-band tracks".