Re: [Gnash-dev] 2nd try: How can Internet Archive flash script pick codec to use?

[John Gilmore]

Thanks for kicking around these ideas, guys!

> Is it reasonable to assume that a system will have at least proprietary
> *or* free codecs?

Nope.  It's not reasonable to assume anything about the available
codecs.  Flash runs today in a wide variety of devices and
configurations, and it'll run in even more five or ten years from now.

> Or am I missing something?

I'm not trying to design a one-shot kludge.  I'm trying to design a
capability that will be used by a wide variety of Flash-based 
applications and sites.

> 2. look at the player version string ($version in AS, amongst other
> things). If it's Gnash, assume it can play whatever gstreamer or ffmpeg
> can - which should certainly include OGG Theora and other free formats.

Gnash runs in Macs, which often can't play free formats.  Gnash runs
in Windows, and who knows what it can play there.  Gnash runs in
embedded systems that may well decide not to embed Ogg Theora, for
space or low performance reasons.  Drawing conclusions from the player
name is another one-shot kludge that might work for six months and
then would break forever afterward.

        John