This week, Google subtly noted that Android 2.3 “Gingerbread” is set for a Q4 2010 release.
The date was shown off inside the FAQ for the new WebM video format. Google’s latest update, 2.2 “Froyo” is expected to be launched today at the I/O conference, which is now in its second day.
WebM is Google’s new open source video codec, built on the VP8 codec that was originally developed by On2. Last year, Google purchased On2 for $124 million USD. For audio, the codec uses open source Ogg Vorbis.
The open source codec is Google’s answer to the current HTML5 video format war. HTML5 allows for native video embedding in web pages, removing the need for plug-ins like Adobe’s Flash or Microsoft’s Silverlight. The standard does not specify which format will be used, and that has led to Apple and Microsoft pushing the expensive H.264 format, while Google, Opera, and Mozilla among others are pushing for free, open source formats.
Widespread smartphone HTML5 support is not expected for some time, adds MobileBurn, but Android users will likely see the start of strong support with “Gingerbread.”
Result for: format war
AfterDawn readers will undoubtedly remember the Blu-ray versus HD DVD format war that ended last November with the demise of the HD DVD format.
Toshiba, the main backer of the format, supposedly lost $1 billion USD as a result of the “war.”
Today, the Japanese company announced they will be releasing their first Blu-ray player, the BD-18, by the end of the year. There were no other details about specifications or the aesthetics of the player.
Since the demise of HD DVD, Toshiba has never fully embraced their once-rival, but it appears that strong growth in the format has led Toshiba to finally move on.
Result for: format war
The results of a new survey by Harris Interactive show that despite winning the hi-def format war Blu-ray isn’t showing any real signs it will become a mainstream success. In fact they indicate more people own standalone HD DVD players (11%) than Blu-ray players (7%).
When you factor in PS3 game consoles and the Xbox 360 add on HD DVD drive the numbers shift to favor Blu-ray, but it’s not as big a margin as you might expect. Even including these numbers, Blu-ray only holds a 2% lead (16% vs 14%).
Clearly those numbers don’t look right if you assume people are buying these players for their compatibility with the high definition format of their choice.
Unless the format of their choice is upscaled DVD. And in fact that’s what most people who responded to the survey seem to be indicating.
Even though respondents said they would buy fewer standard definition discs this year than last, they aren’t planning to convert those purchases to Blu-ray titles.
Barely more than a fifth of Blu-ray owners surveyed are replacing the titles in their DVD collection with Blu-ray versions. More than 40% are waiting for disc prices to drop before they expand their collection of high definition discs.
The picture gets worse when you look at people who don’t own Blu-ray players yet. More than 90% don’t plan to be buying one this year either.
This doesn’t mean manufacturers can’t change their minds with the right pricing strategy. But simply selling a player also won’t guarantee disc sales.
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