Chrome Removing Theora Support
Intent to Ship: Deprecate and remove Theora support.
Dale Curtisunread,Oct 23, 2023, 10:53:14 AM10/23/23to blink-devContact emailsdalec...@chromium.orgExplainerNoneSpecificationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheoraSummaryChrome will deprecate and remove support for the Theora video codec in desktop Chrome due to emerging security risks. Theora's low (and now often incorrect) usage no longer justifies support for most users.

Notes:
- Zero day attacks against media codecs have spiked.
- Usage has fallen below measurable levels in UKM.
- The sites we manually inspected before levels dropped off were incorrectly preferring Theora over more modern codecs like VP9.
- It's never been supported by Safari or Chrome on Android.
- An ogv.js polyfill exists for the sites that still need Theora support.
- We are not removing support for ogg containers.

Our plan is to begin escalating experiments turning down Theora support in M120. During this time users can reactivate Theora support via chrome://flags/#theora-video-codec if needed.

The tentative timeline for this is (assuming everything goes smoothly):
- ~Oct 23, 2023: begin 50/50 canary dev experiments.
- ~Nov 1-6, 2023: begin 50/50 beta experiments.
- ~Dec 6, 2023: begin 1% stable experiments.
- ~Jan 8, 2024: begin 50% stable experiments.
- ~Jan 16th, 2024: launch at 100%.
- ~Feb 2024: remove code and chrome://flag in M123.
- ~Mar 2024: Chrome 123 will roll to stable.Blink componentInternals>Media>CodecsSearch tagstheora, vp3, videoTAG reviewNoneTAG review statusNot applicableRisksInteroperability and CompatibilitySites which only provide a Theora video source will no longer have video playback. These sites would already be broken in Chrome for Android or Safari.Gecko: Under consideration Private discussions. I asked if they'd like an RFP for this, but haven't yet heard back.WebKit: Shipped/Shipping (https://caniuse.com/ogv) Safari never shipped support for Theora.Web developers: Mixed signals Most developers are not likely to have an opinion, some may lament the loss of one of the first open codecs on the web.Other signals:SecuritySecurity positive change -- removes support for a complicated binary parsing and decoding mechanism.WebView application risksDoes this intent deprecate or change behavior of existing APIs, such that it has potentially high risk for Android WebView-based applications?None, never supported on Android or WebView.DebuggabilityCan be debugged through media dev tools or chrome://media-internals.Will this feature be supported on all six Blink platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, Android, and Android WebView)?YesNot currently supported on Chrome for Android.Is this feature fully tested by web-platform-tests?YesAs part of pre-work, I've switched all tests using Theora (of which there were hundreds) over to using VP8/VP9 where appropriate.Flag name on chrome://flagsTheoraVideoCodecFinch feature nameTheoraVideoCodecRequires code in //chrome?FalseTracking bughttps://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=1489034Estimated milestonesAnticipated spec changesOpen questions about a feature may be a source of future web compat or interop issues. Please list open issues (e.g. links to known github issues in the project for the feature specification) whose resolution may introduce web compat/interop risk (e.g., changing to naming or structure of the API in a non-backward-compatible way).NoneLink to entry on the Chrome Platform Statushttps://chromestatus.com/feature/5158654475239424Dale Curtisunread,Oct 23, 2023, 10:54:58 AM10/23/23to blink-devHmm, not sure why the description got reflowed, here's the formatted version:Chrome will deprecate and remove support for the Theora video codec in desktop Chrome due to emerging security risks. Theora's low (and now often incorrect) usage no longer justifies support for most users.Notes:- Zero day attacks against media codecs have spiked.- Usage has fallen below measurable levels in UKM.- The sites we manually inspected before levels dropped off were incorrectly preferring Theora over more modern codecs like VP9.- It's never been supported by Safari or Chrome on Android.- An ogv.js polyfill exists for the sites that still need Theora support.- We are not removing support for ogg containers.Our plan is to begin escalating experiments turning down Theora support in M120. During this time users can reactivate Theora support via chrome://flags/#theora-video-codec if needed.The tentative timeline for this is (assuming everything goes smoothly):- ~Oct 23, 2023: begin 50/50 canary dev experiments.- ~Nov 1-6, 2023: begin 50/50 beta experiments.- ~Dec 6, 2023: begin 1% stable experiments.- ~Jan 8, 2024: begin 50% stable experiments.- ~Jan 16th, 2024: launch at 100%.- ~Feb 2024: remove code and chrome://flag in M123.- ~Mar 2024: Chrome 123 will roll to stable.Dale Curtisunread,Oct 23, 2023, 11:32:29 AM10/23/23to blink-devMike Taylorunread,Oct 23, 2023, 12:02:24 PM10/23/23to Dale Curtis, blink-dev
    On 10/23/23 11:54 AM, Dale Curtis wrote:
    
      
      Hmm, not sure why the description got reflowed,
        here's the formatted version:
        
        Chrome will deprecate and remove support for the Theora
          video codec in desktop Chrome due to emerging security risks.
          Theora's low (and now often incorrect) usage no longer
          justifies support for most users.
          
          Notes:
          - Zero day attacks against media codecs have spiked.
          - Usage has fallen below measurable levels in UKM.
          - The sites we manually inspected before levels dropped off
          were incorrectly preferring Theora over more modern codecs
          like VP9.
      
    
    Meaning, once Theora support is gone, video playback continues to
    work for all sites you inspected because media source selection
    found something else playable?
    
      - It's never been supported by Safari or Chrome on Android.
          - An ogv.js polyfill exists for the sites that still need
          Theora support.
          - We are not removing support for ogg containers.
          
          Our plan is to begin escalating experiments turning down
          Theora support in M120. During this time users can reactivate
          Theora support via chrome://flags/#theora-video-codec if
          needed.
          
          The tentative timeline for this is (assuming everything goes
          smoothly):
          - ~Oct 23, 2023: begin 50/50 canary dev experiments.
          - ~Nov 1-6, 2023: begin 50/50 beta experiments.
          - ~Dec 6, 2023: begin 1% stable experiments.
    
    Even though UKM appears to be exceedingly low, if you're not 100%
    confident this will be a no-op, you might consider beginning the
    stable experiment after the new year (and many production freezes).

Dale Curtisunread,Oct 23, 2023, 12:13:32 PM10/23/23to Mike Taylor, blink-dev

  
    
  
  
    On 10/23/23 11:54 AM, Dale Curtis wrote:
    
      
      Hmm, not sure why the description got reflowed,
        here's the formatted version:
        
        Chrome will deprecate and remove support for the Theora
          video codec in desktop Chrome due to emerging security risks.
          Theora's low (and now often incorrect) usage no longer
          justifies support for most users.
          
          Notes:
          - Zero day attacks against media codecs have spiked.
          - Usage has fallen below measurable levels in UKM.
          - The sites we manually inspected before levels dropped off
          were incorrectly preferring Theora over more modern codecs
          like VP9.
      
    
    Meaning, once Theora support is gone, video playback continues to
    work for all sites you inspected because media source selection
    found something else playable?Correct, if Theora support was missing users would have a higher quality experience due to a more modern codec being selected.
    
      - It's never been supported by Safari or Chrome on Android.
          - An ogv.js polyfill exists for the sites that still need
          Theora support.
          - We are not removing support for ogg containers.
          
          Our plan is to begin escalating experiments turning down
          Theora support in M120. During this time users can reactivate
          Theora support via chrome://flags/#theora-video-codec if
          needed.
          
          The tentative timeline for this is (assuming everything goes
          smoothly):
          - ~Oct 23, 2023: begin 50/50 canary dev experiments.
          - ~Nov 1-6, 2023: begin 50/50 beta experiments.
          - ~Dec 6, 2023: begin 1% stable experiments.
    
    Even though UKM appears to be exceedingly low, if you're not 100%
    confident this will be a no-op, you might consider beginning the
    stable experiment after the new year (and many production freezes).I did consider this and ran this plan by Finch team ahead of time, however given the low usage, long dev/beta experiments, that these sites would already be broken on Android/Safari, and that we'd still have time to turn down the 1% stable experiment before Finch freeze, leaving at 1% until after holiday freezes should be safe.Yuhong Baounread,Oct 23, 2023, 10:44:06 PM10/23/23to blink-dev, Dale CurtisI am asking the WMF to add MP4:Mike Taylorunread,Oct 24, 2023, 6:49:55 AM10/24/23to Dale Curtis, blink-dev
    On 10/23/23 1:13 PM, Dale Curtis wrote:
    
      
      
          
            
              On 10/23/23 11:54 AM, Dale Curtis wrote:
              
                Hmm, not sure why the description got
                  reflowed, here's the formatted version:
                  
                  Chrome will deprecate and remove support for the
                    Theora video codec in desktop Chrome due to emerging
                    security risks. Theora's low (and now often
                    incorrect) usage no longer justifies support for
                    most users.
                    
                    Notes:
                    - Zero day attacks against media codecs have spiked.
                    - Usage has fallen below measurable levels in UKM.
                    - The sites we manually inspected before levels
                    dropped off were incorrectly preferring Theora over
                    more modern codecs like VP9.
                
              
              Meaning, once Theora support is gone, video playback
              continues to work for all sites you inspected because
              media source selection found something else playable?
            
          
          
          Correct, if Theora support was missing users would have a
            higher quality experience due to a more modern codec being
            selected.
          
          
            
              
                - It's never been supported by Safari or Chrome
                    on Android.
                    - An ogv.js polyfill exists for the sites that still
                    need Theora support.
                    - We are not removing support for ogg containers.
                    
                    Our plan is to begin escalating experiments turning
                    down Theora support in M120. During this time users
                    can reactivate Theora support via chrome://flags/#theora-video-codec
                    if needed.
                    
                    The tentative timeline for this is (assuming
                    everything goes smoothly):
                    - ~Oct 23, 2023: begin 50/50 canary dev experiments.
                    - ~Nov 1-6, 2023: begin 50/50 beta experiments.
                    - ~Dec 6, 2023: begin 1% stable experiments.
              
              Even though UKM appears to be exceedingly low, if you're
              not 100% confident this will be a no-op, you might
              consider beginning the stable experiment after the new
              year (and many production freezes).
            
          
          
          I did consider this and ran this plan by Finch team ahead
            of time, however given the low usage, long dev/beta
            experiments, that these sites would already be broken on
            Android/Safari, and that we'd still have time to turn down
            the 1% stable experiment before Finch freeze, leaving at 1%
            until after holiday freezes should be safe.
        
    
    OK, that sounds reasonable. Can you also request the rest of the
      review bits in the chromestatus entry?
    

Dale Curtisunread,Oct 24, 2023, 12:02:18 PM10/24/23to Mike Taylor, blink-devDone, thanks I thought that was automatic these days.Mike Taylorunread,Oct 24, 2023, 12:04:35 PM10/24/23to Dale Curtis, blink-dev

  
    
  
  LGTM1 to deprecate and remove. RIP Theora, we hardly knew ye.
    Dale Curtisunread,Oct 24, 2023, 12:05:32 PM10/24/23to Yuhong Bao, blink-devWMF has long switched away from Theora (to VP9) per prior discussions with them and seconded by this comment: Switching to H264+MP4 is not necessary to avoid this deprecation. VP9+MP4, VP9/VP8+WEBM, or even VP8+OGG are all more viable open codec options.- daleYoav Weissunread,Oct 25, 2023, 3:37:48 AM10/25/23to Dale Curtis, Yuhong Bao, blink-devLGTM2
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Philip Jägenstedtunread,Oct 25, 2023, 4:32:51 AM10/25/23to Yoav Weiss, Dale Curtis, Yuhong Bao, blink-devLGTM3 with sentimental feelings.Back in 2010 (https://dev.opera.com/blog/re-introducing-video/) I was cheering for Theora and shipped support in Presto. We now have other open and RF video codecs which have been deployed on a much larger scale, and I'd like to think that Theora and the Xiph folks helped make the case for why we needed those codecs. Thank you Theora!
Dale Curtisunread,Oct 25, 2023, 10:20:30 AM10/25/23to Philip Jägenstedt, Yoav Weiss, Yuhong Bao, blink-devLGTM3 with sentimental feelings.Back in 2010 (https://dev.opera.com/blog/re-introducing-video/) I was cheering for Theora and shipped support in Presto. We now have other open and RF video codecs which have been deployed on a much larger scale, and I'd like to think that Theora and the Xiph folks helped make the case for why we needed those codecs. Thank you Theora!+1, Theora definitely helped light the path to where we are today with https://aomedia.org/. Thanks to all the early folks involved who got us here.