[section label=1. Summary]
Seven leading Internet companies have announced the Alliance for Open Media project. Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, Amazon, Cisco, and Intel founded the alliance with the aim of accelerating the development of the next-generation media formats, codecs, and technologies. This is most likely a move to combat the potential licensing royalties of 4K video streaming by the group HEVC Advanced as well as the royalties currently imposed on the existing H.264 codec.
While Alliance for Open Media extends beyond just creating video formats, the group’s current priority is to create the next generation of royalty-free video codec specification as well as standards for content encryption and adaptive streaming. The interoperable video format will be optimized for the web, have a low computational footprint, and be flexible for both commercial and non-commercial content.
“Customer expectations for media delivery continue to grow, and fulfilling their expectations requires the concerted energy of the entire ecosystem,” said Gabe Frost, the Alliance for Open Media’s Executive Director. “The Alliance for Open Media brings together the leading experts in the entire video stack to work together in pursuit of open, royalty-free and interoperable solutions for the next generation of video delivery.”
Other members of the alliance have expressed similar interests. “Our combined strength, resources and expertise will drive the next generation of web media experiences much further and faster”, said Matt Frost, Head of Strategy and Partnerships, Chrome Media.
According to TechCrunch, the new format code will be published under the Apache 2.0 license and will operate under W3C patent rules. This means that the members will waive royalties from the codec implementations and their patents on the codec itself.
[section label=2. Press Release]
ALLIANCE FOR OPEN MEDIA ESTABLISHED TO DELIVER NEXT-GENERATION OPEN MEDIA FORMATS
New open standard for Ultra High Definition video will enable enhanced video playback
WAKEFIELD, Mass., USA – Sept. 1, 2015 – Seven leading Internet companies today announced formation of the Alliance for Open Media – an open-source project that will develop next-generation media formats, codecs and technologies in the public interest. The Alliance’s founding members are Amazon, Cisco, Google, Intel Corporation, Microsoft, Mozilla and Netflix. The new Alliance is committing its collective technology and expertise to meet growing Internet demand for top-quality video, audio, imagery and streaming across devices of all kinds and for users worldwide.
The Alliance’s initial focus is to deliver a next-generation video format that is:
- Interoperable and open;
- Optimized for the web;
- Scalable to any modern device at any bandwidth;
- Designed with a low computational footprint and optimized for hardware;
- Capable of consistent, highest-quality, real-time video delivery; and
- Flexible for both commercial and non-commercial content, including user-generated content.
This initial project will create a new, open royalty-free video codec specification based on the contributions of members, along with binding specifications for media format, content encryption and adaptive streaming, thereby creating opportunities for next-generation media experiences.
“Customer expectations for media delivery continue to grow, and fulfilling their expectations requires the concerted energy of the entire ecosystem,” said Gabe Frost, the Alliance for Open Media’s Executive Director. “The Alliance for Open Media brings together the leading experts in the entire video stack to work together in pursuit of open, royalty-free and interoperable solutions for the next generation of video delivery.”
Additional information on the Alliance, including how to join, will be available later this year.
The Alliance for Open Media is a project of the Joint Development Foundation, an independent non-profit organization that provides the corporate and legal infrastructure to enable groups to establish and operate standards and source code development collaborations.
About the Alliance for Open Media
Launched in 2015, the Alliance for Open Media is a Joint Development Foundation project formed to define and develop media codecs, media formats, and related technologies to address marketplace demand for an open standard for video compression and delivery over the web. Among the Alliance’s goals is the creation of a new, high-quality open video format that improves core media experiences for all.
SUPPORTING STATEMENTS FROM ALLIANCE FOR OPEN MEDIA MEMBERS
“As a founding member of the Alliance for Open Media, Cisco is committed to offering our innovation and resources to the creation of a next-generation video codec,” said Jonathan Rosenberg, CTO of Cisco Collaboration Technology Group. “We have been very vocal about our desire to deliver a royalty-free codec and we believe that joining the forces of the designers of the Daala, Thor and VPx codecs in AOMedia will multiply our collective efforts to deliver next-generation media codecs, formats and technologies.”
“Google launched the WebM Project in 2010 in the belief that web video innovation was too slow and too closed, and that broad collaboration — in the open — would fix both problems. The Alliance for Open Media is a big leap forward for these core philosophies, and we’re gratified that our AOMedia partners share this vision. Our combined strength, resources and expertise will drive the next generation of web media experiences much further and faster than WebM can do alone,” said Matt Frost, Head of Strategy and Partnerships, Chrome Media.
“Intel Corporation is pleased to be a founding member of the Alliance for Open Media,” said Jonathan Khazam, Intel Vice President and general manager of the Visual & Parallel Computing Group. “Intel is committed to open standards and leadership in next generation video technologies that are central to new user experiences. The Alliance’s open framework will enable Intel and other alliance members to help usher in the next generation of video-oriented experiences that combine higher quality with lower delivery costs.”
“Microsoft has long been a media technology innovator, playing a leadership role in the creation of the open and interoperable media streaming standards that power video on the web today,” Ian LeGrow, GM, Media Platform, for Microsoft, said. “We’re excited to be a founding member of the Alliance for Open Media, where we will work with other leading companies to create new technologies that will help bring better media experiences to billions of customers and their devices.”
“The Alliance for Open Media provides a truly multi-stakeholder venue to openly review intellectual property for the creation of a world-class, royalty-free video codec,” said David Bryant, VP of Platform Engineering and CTO at Mozilla. “Our efforts will ensure high quality video remains accessible to all. Mozilla is proud to provide Daala alongside Thor and VP10 to advance this mission.”
