[whatwg] <source>s in <video> by quality as well as codec

[Silvia Pfeiffer]

quality, bitrate and filesize can all be calculated from those metrics
and it can all be done automatically. So, if you give a list of
<source> elements and those metrics are provided by the browser
through the IDL, the switching that you're asking for will be made
possible.

On Fri, Feb 24, 2012 at 4:22 PM, Rodger Combs <rodger.combs at gmail.com> wrote:
> While they're useful, I don't see how those bugs add the functions I proposed. Am I missing something, or are you just asking for input on a related topic? If so, I think those seem pretty nice.
>
> On Feb 23, 2012, at 11:09 PM, Silvia Pfeiffer wrote:
>
>> I'd be curious what you think about the proposal at
>> http://wiki.whatwg.org/wiki/Video_Metrics which is being addressed
>> through bugs https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=14970 and
>> https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=12399 .
>>
>> Regards,
>> Silvia.
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 22, 2012 at 11:06 AM, Rodger Combs <rodger.combs at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I propose that <source> add a quality, bitrate, or filesize attribute to allow the UA to decide between multiple streams by choosing the maximum quality file that it can download within a reasonable amount of time (e.g. it will download faster than it will play) or based on a user preference (e.g. prefer SD quality, or always use HD when provided). It should also be possible to retrieve a list of the <source>s the UA can play in JS, and switch between them by user action (either a JS call for a custom UI or a dropdown in the builtin UI), loading the new file and switching to it with minimal skipping. This way, a site like YouTube, which presents several files in various bitrates and codecs, can allow the user to choose to use a higher quality without having to force an src attribute on the video, and a mobile UA that roams from 3G to WiFi or moves close to a base station can increase the quality of its stream. I think it fits in well with the purpose of the source element. This is certainly open for modification, but I think it's a good concept in essence.
>