Kevin Whitman's Blog

HTML5 Video and DRM

Many people call HTML5 an Adobe Flash replacement and I agree. Adobe already discontinued Flash on mobile devices. So HTML5 Video is a must for video on mobile phones and tablets. On the desktop Flash Video players are used more than HTML5 Video players but HTML5 video will work with a current web browser on a site that supports HTML5 video. Commercial video sites like YouTube will play partnered content in Flash even if you turned on HTML5 video at http://www.youtube.com/html5. I assume the reason for this is HTML5 video doesn’t really support DRM. The HTML5 video tag just tells the web browser where the video is and other info it needs to know, then the browser handles the video playback using a supported codec and other features like controls.

So DRM could be implemented in all the major browsers and play DRM video back if everyone is using an up-to-date browser that supports video files with DRM. Also I think Firefox would object to supporting DRM as it’s a closed technology. Plus since its open source you could read the code, and then “crack” the DRM. So I doubt all the browsers would even support DRM videos. So that’s why video sites still use Flash or Silverlight on the desktop. Then on mobile devices you install a native app(Example: Hulu Plus and Netflix) I assume it’s for DRM also.

Now I think DRM is pretty stupid. DRM is pretty much cracked all the time. Sadly major entertainment companies still prefer to use this type of technology. It’s basically security through obscurity and seems like a waste of resources to create and use. So I think the entertainment industry being ignorant is going to hold back HTML5 Video for commercial video sites.

The plan for Viewashi(Video Startup I’m part of) is to do HTML5 Video with a flash fallback. Then also prevent hot linking via a token based system. This clearly seems like an innovative approach to me as a HTML5 video seems to use less CPU than a Flash video. I’m not sure if this would hurt the content selection. What do you think? Do you think the entertainment industry would want to get on board? Do you think Indie content would get on board? Or should we just stay with dying technology like Flash or Silverlight that supports DRM?

Normally I like to be in a stealth mode and not talk much about any of these types of details relating to a startup but before we really start on our player, I’m just curious as what others think on this topic.

I think supporting HTML5 video is great and I prefer it over flash. HTML5 Video just seems all fragmented. IE and Safari needs MP4, Chrome needs WebM or OGV, etc. So DRM on top of that would complicate things even more. I know HTML5 isn’t done till 2014. Some of the elements seems done already and is in use. Do you think the state of HTML5 video will be better in 2014 or even 2013? I personally would prefer DRM to never be implemented as it seems like a waste as it will most likely be cracked by someone and different browsers will disagree on it. Do you think not having DRM is going to be a big problem for HTML5 video adoption or will it get it later on? What are your opinions on this topic?

PS: I’m not trying to promote DRM. Just talking about how it could be implemented and wondering if not having DRM on HTML5 Video will limit the use of HTML5 video for full television episodes and movies by the studios.

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  • Anonymous

    Your writing is terribly hard to understand. You sound like an excited child trying to tell their parents about the new pet their friend just got…

    • http://keverw.com/ Kevin Whitman

      Sorry. I’m not the best writer but I edited the post so heedfully it will make more sense.

  • Anonymous

    I’m drunk and I disagree . If i was sober, I’d still disagree

  • Anonymous

    I’m drunk and I disagree . If i was sober, I’d still disagree

  • Bodo

    Token based URLs are not a innovative approach. This is used for a decade. And it does NOT help. Token based only means you can download the File when you have the url. This is no DRM at all. Flash DRM using RTMPe is very good. You can’t simply crack it. And If you make deals with any content provider, they will insist that you use some kind of DRM. You don’t have any chance if the video is not coming from you, but licensed. And due to the opensource nature of the important browsers, you can’t just add DRM to the HTML5-Specs.

    This and the video codec desaster in HTML5 are a showstopper for HTML5 Video for comercial content.

    • http://keverw.com/ Kevin Whitman

      Yep. I feel like we’re gonna be forced to use Flash. And I know temp urls aren’t DRM but I figured they will help prevent hot linking atleast.

  • Anon

    Only MP4 and WebM really matter for browsers now. The tokening is definitely doable too – it is what Vimeo do with their HTML5 videos.

    • Jonathan

      MP4 is a container format, you mean h.264.

  • just a guest

    Apple supports encryption and extension scheme for, probably, DRM with HTTP Live Streaming as one of video format for HTML5 video in their mobile Safari. This means the DRM can be a part of video format or framework but HTML5.

  • http://twitter.com/mikemaccana Mike MacCana

    @bodo rtmpdump came out quite. A white leather ago now. Saying rtmpe can’t be cracked is laughable.

  • Anonymous

    DRM is a solution that creates a problem that won’t exist if you ignore it.

    Imagine if none of the browser makers implement DRM for HTML5. The world, and this distribution medium, will carry on producing and releasing content without DRM. Individual players in the content creation industry may hold out for several years, but they are only hurting themselves by doing so and eventually they will relent because their stubbornness is costing them very very valuable mindshare to content creators that are digital natives that understand the medium and how to make money with it sans DRM.

    In other words, if we don’t implement DRM, then DRM will be unnecessary because market forces will force those who want DRM to give up holding out in order to compete.

  • ilayil3

    I’ve seen apple’s HLS(http live streaming) “drm” it’s only intended to help distribute the content by canceling the need to re-encrypt the content for ever client(for ssl). There’s nothing there to stop you form saving all the parts, and the key on your hd. Of cause it a bit harder than saving an mp4 file, but just a bit.

    Flash DRM is bullshit(because of rtmpdump), I agree with the writer, drm doesn’t achieve anything except waste resources. The only reason you’re going to need it in the first place is because Hollywood don’t get the fact their content is already out there. Searching rapidshare is even easier that viewing source.

  • Guypaskar

    I agree with you that DRM is a waste but disagree about its existence in the html5 world. unfortunately we will still have DRM for many years to come since the studios will not give up on it.
    I sure hope HTML5 videos will be around before 2014 and companies will stop serving flash videos BUT it’ll take time – some of the main flash features such as ABR and DRM are not yet available in the browsers and even when will be available there will still be browsers that will not support and therefore flash will still be the “de facto” player.

    Guy