HTML5-video object -- type attribute

[StefanoBraghieri]

We built the player for our application starting from the code provided by the HbbTV Reference Application – here below a shred of it: Such a code correctly works on all the brand/model TV terminal we are currently testing and certifying.

Now, a STB manufacturer (call it XX) has submitted its product upon which the player does not work. XX provided us an analysis highlighting the fact our player is NOT compliant to W3C specification for HTML5-video object.

The highlighted attribute in the code is not supported by W3C (https://www.w3.org/TR/2011/WD-html5-20110113/video.html#video), which suggest two ways to proceed:

1. No attribute -> the browser shall be able to “detect” the format to play
2. Using a different way to specify the VIDEO tag: Following XX suggestion, we revert the HTML5-video object in agreement to (2) to be fully compliant to W3C specification. Of course, XX STB now is working fine, BUT none of the TV sets are working with this implementation. I haven’t found any specification/guidelines/… which explain this gap between the “recommendation” HbbTV provides by means the Ref.App. and the W3C specification.

---

could be a solution to remove "type" as solution (1) from W3C?

[jpiesing]

Three comments,

1. I agree that the HTML5 video element doesn't include type and that, ideally, a reference app should not include something which is not in the spec.
2. Part of the point of the reference app is to have something which works on as much as possible of the installed base. If the installed base breaks without 'type' then just removing it is not an option.
3. I believe browsers have to ignore non-supported attributes. If this is correct then the STB implementation would be broken if it does not ignore it. I don't have a reference for this though.

[juhajoki]

We will check results of the removal of the attribute (to be standards compliant) on our zoo and will decide how to resolve on basis of those results.

Ideally the ref app should be standards compliant but the objective of the project was example code that “worked on as wide a range of devices in the market already.

[juhajoki]

This has slipped through the cracks... still something that needs to be done and results checked?

[juhajoki]

type attribute is removed from the HTML5 player's video object. Installed base did not break due to this change.

[juhajoki]

re-opening due to need to collect some results and better document the change / add information on how to switch between different syntaxes

[bobcampbell-resillion]

Does this still need work or can it be resolved?

[bobcampbell-resillion]

Very old issue and think it can be closed after so much time.