Google To Drop H.264 Video Codec Support For Google Chrome

...we are changing Chrome’s HTML5 <video> support to make it consistent with the codecs already supported by the open Chromium project. Specifically, we are supporting the WebM (VP8) and Theora video codecs, and will consider adding support for other high-quality open codecs in the future. Though H.264 plays an important role in video, as our goal is to enable open innovation, support for the codec will be removed and our resources directed towards completely open codec technologies.

These changes will occur in the next couple months but we are announcing them now to give content publishers and developers using HTML <video> an opportunity to make any necessary changes to their sites.

Jean-Pierre...well, that a violent move : that leave the sites owner with the choice of staying with Flash player + h.264 alone or to double encode their videos : one in WebM for half the browser market, the other in h.264 for the rest of the world ...
I know Youtube is doing it, but for the rest of the world, that's not a cheap enough move

Kevin...Considering that the licensing restrictions surrounding use of H.264 were lifted by their license holder to allow ease of adoption on the web and that H.264 is the most popular Video Codec for HD since it is used on Blue-ray Discs and on all Apple Products, I would think this was a dumb idea. I understand being "open" but people slammed Mozilla for taking this stance with Firefox and it's support of H.264 so this just looks like a lame duck attempt by Google to promote their own Video Codec. Thanks for making the HTML5 Transition even more messy.

I have six devices that can all play digital video: a PS3, an Xbox 360, a laptop, an iMac, a PSP, and an iPhone. Guess what one codec each and every one of those devices is able to play? h264.

Shiodoshi...If I want the widest audience possible to be able to access my content, why in the world would I encode it in either WebM or Theora? I wouldn't.