[whatwg] Video with MIME type application/octet-stream

[Aryeh Gregor]

On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 9:03 AM, Mikko Rantalainen
<mikko.rantalainen at peda.net> wrote:
> For any other value of Content-Type, honor the type specified in HTTP
> level. And provide no overrides of any kind on any level above the HTTP.
> Levels above HTTP may provide HINTS about the content that can be used
> to aid or override *sniffing* but nothing should override any
> *explicitly specified Content-Type*. [This is simplified version of the
> logic that the Mozilla/Firefox already applies:
> http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/netwerk/streamconv/converters/nsUnknownDecoder.cpp#684]

This is not feasible at least for some legacy cases, like image MIME
types.  It's a good strategy to try for new cases, though.  If it
could be specced for video and audio, maybe we could get everyone to
converge sooner rather than later.

> And for heavens sake, do not specify any sniffing as "official".
> Instead, explicitly specify all sniffing as UA specific and possibly
> suggest that UAs should inform the user that content is broken and the
> current rendering is best effort if any sniffing is required.

This is totally incompatible with the compelling interoperability and
security benefits of all browsers using the exact same sniffing
algorithm.