Google, Intel, Mozilla, Netflix, And Others Form Alliance For Open Media

Google, Intel, Microsoft, Mozilla, Netflix, Amazon, and Cisco, have become day one members of the newly formed Alliance for Open Media.

The Alliance (AOMedia) is an open source, not for profit project intent on creating ‘a new, open royalty-free video codec specification…with binding specifications for media formats…’

The overall aim is to create one format to rule them all, in the hopes that a single overarching video codec will be adopted by everyone in the industry, and ensure that high quality video will be accessible to everyone who wants it.

Matt Frost, the Strategy head of Chrome, said that the ‘combined strength, resources and expertise,’ of the AOMedia partners meant that the new media format would arrive sooner and faster than had each company had pursued individual net generation web media projects.

Alliance for Open Media’s short term objective

The first key aim of the Alliance is to deliver a new 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.

Each member of AOMedia is expected to bring their own specific expertise and knowledge to the table. Each participant is likely to waive certain propriety information and patent rights in order to design and build code that will become the new open standard for video playback on the web.

The Alliance for Open Media is a newly formed part of the Joint Development Foundation, itself a non-profit and independent organization.  It provides pathways that can enable groups and competitors to establish the legal and corporate pathways to embark on collaborations effectively.

Noticeable by their absence

Apple and Yahoo are two names conspicuous by their absence. Both companies will have an opportunity to join the AOMedia project when it opens its doors to new members later in the year; but it is widely known that both companies have been investing heavily themselves in media content delivery and may not wish to become a part of the project.

Either way, what does seem certain is that video streaming and media playback is going to be a much simple and streamlined experience for users in the not too distant future.

The website for the Alliance of Open Media can be found here.