Google to buy video compression technology outfit On2

Google confirmed today that it plans to buy digital video compression outfit On2 Technologies in an all-stock agreement, valued at $106.5m. Mountain View said On2 shareholders will be handed 60 cents worth of Google class A common shares for each outstanding share they hold in the company. Clifton Park, New Jersey-based On2 …

[Henry Wertz 1]

Ogg Theora

Just an FYI, On2's the company that released the VP3 video codec under an irrevocable free license (including covering any patents On2 has, including for commercial use), specifically to provide a basis for the Ogg Theora video format. So they are definitely supporters of open source software.

I wonder if Google will open up VP6 (especially if it has any advantages over H.264.) Then it could be used for in-browser video. HTML5 video tag for newer browsers, and flash for older ones (since flash also supports VP6).

[PushF12]

On2 contributed most of the code for Ogg Theora

I wonder why Google wants the team that did most of Ogg Theora, which is the video codec for freetards that nearly got written into the latest HTML standard.

[Jerome 0]

Open sesame

Of course, Google will open-source the video codecs immediately upon acquisition of the company, thus creating a viable standard to be included in the HTML spec and implemented by all decent browsers (you know the one(s) I'm _not_ talking about).

[mlo0352]

Licensed By Adobe

Does that mean that Adobe will lose ownership of this compression format? Is their compression technology already being widely used? I don't really know much about online video so yeah...

[Tom Chiverton 1]

@mlo0352

Credit Adobe with some sense. They'll have made sure the licence can't be revoke. The source code may even be in escrow against just the possibility that just happened :-)