Video formats, protocols and playback technologies supported by WS.WebTV
support, ws.webtv, introduction, video, formats, technologies
Since WS.WebTV playbacks videos using current Web video technologies (Flash and HTML5) on a variaty of devices (PCs, Mobiles, etc.) and on a variety of Web Browsers, whose combination also condition the playback technology used as well as the formats (H.264, WebM, etc...) - among others - then the video support depends entirely on the combination of those factors: Device + Web browser + Playback technology.
Below you will find a reference table table with the supported video formats, protocols, technologies, etc.
Video Format | Protocol + Streaming Technology | File Extension | Flash When the Web Browsers has the Flash plugin |
HTML5 Modern Web Browsers without Flash plugin |
MP4 (H.264+AAC) |
HTTP (progressive - standard Web server) | .mp4 | Yes | Yes Supported by most devices [+info], [+info2] |
HTTP (pseudo-streaming) | .mp4 | Yes StreamClip extension + Apache H.264 mod required |
Yes Supported by most devices [+info], [+info2] |
|
HTTP HLS (streaming) | .m3u8 | Yes StreamClip extension required + third party plugin (included) |
Yes (WS.WebTV 2.1+) Partial (WS.WebTV 2.0 and lower) StreamClip extension required - WS.WebTV 2.1: HLS support is achieved through hls.js library and should work on most modern HTML5 Browsers with MediaSource extensions. - WS.WebTV 2.0 or lower: Depends on device/Browser HLS is natively supported on certain Mobile Web Browsers (on iOS, Android 4, 5, 6 and 7...) HLS is not natively supported on desktop Browsers. |
|
RTMP, RTMPT, RTMPE... (streaming) | .mp4, .smil / no extension for live streaming | Yes StreamClip extension required |
No | |
HTTP HDS (streaming) | .f4m | Yes StreamClip extension required |
No | |
HTTP MPEG-DASH (streaming) | .mpd | No | Partial StreamClip extension required Depends on device/Browser [+info] |
|
MP4 (H.265 + AAC) |
... | ... | No | No |
WebM | HTTP (progressive - standard Web server) | .webm | No | Partial Depends on device/Browser [+info], [+info2] |
HTTP (pseudo-streaming) | .webm | No | Partial Depends on device/Browser [+info], [+info2] |
|
HTTP MPEG-DASH (streaming) | .mpd | No | Partial StreamClip extension required Depends on device/Browser [+info], [+info2] |
As you ca see, as for today, the safest "bet" is the MP4 (H.264+AAC) video format. In the following document we explain the general considerations when encoding in this format:
https://www.webtvsolutions.com/support.php?s=other_docs&d=video_enc_general&lang=en