Web Media API Snapshot 2018

Abstract

This specification lists the web APIs to support media web apps that are supported across all four of the most widely used user agent code bases at the time of publication. This specification should be updated at least annually to keep pace with the evolving web platform. We encourage manufacturers to develop products that support the APIs in the most recent version of Web Media API Snapshot. This specification is comprised of references to existing specifications in W3C and other specification groups. The target devices will include any device that runs a modern HTML user agent, including televisions, game machines, set-top boxes, mobile devices and personal computers.

This specification is being developed as part of the CTA WAVE Project.

1. Introduction

This section is non-normative.

Writing portable media web apps across browsers on consumer products (e.g. smart TVs, game machines, set-top boxes) is much more difficult than writing portable media web apps across personal computer browsers. Two main reasons for this are that the browsers on consumer products are often quite out-of-date and that they often have integration issues.

1.1 Out-of-date browsers

While browsers integrated into consumer products are often built from the same major HTML user agent code bases as personal computer browsers, it is not unusual for a consumer product to be using a code base release that is three or more years old, while personal computer browsers use recent code base releases. Furthermore, browsers on consumer products are often infrequently updated, if ever. This results in very different web API support across devices.

This specification is intended to address this problem by listing key specifications used by media web apps that are all supported in common by all of the four major web user agent code bases at the time of publication. The specification will then be used to generate a test suite. The versions of each of the four code bases used to generate the test suite are listed on the front page of the test suite. (See Test suite URL above.)

The specification and test suite enable device manufacturers to specify and verify that their browsers are up-to-date with current web standards at the time of product release. The specification and tests can also be used to specify and verify updates to browsers in the field.

Note that this specification is not defining a subset or profile to be used in place of the full web platform. There are additional specifications that are included in all code bases that are not included in this specification. Furthermore, individual code bases include APIs that are not supported on all other code bases, but are nonetheless widely used. Therefore, this specification and associated tests should only be used as verification of a minimum set of current APIs. There is no suggestion that APIs not included in this specification should be removed from implementations.

It is intended that this specification be updated periodically to reflect adoption of new specifications in the web platform. For example, the specification might be updated once a year for media devices being introduced onto the market in the following year.

1.2 Integration issues

There are many issues during integration of a web user agent with a hardware device that can affect the operation of web APIs. For example, if insufficient memory is allocated for cookies, they won’t function as intended.

To address this issue, this specification includes a list of target values for several APIs which are known to have been impacted by integration issues. There will also be a test suite to verify these values are supported on a device. It is expected that additional integration requirements will be added in future updates.

Note that these values are not mandated by any web standards, but are based on measurement of values supported by popular browsers. Supporting these values should provide better interoperability of web applications with personal computer and mobile browsers. Manufacturers may choose to exceed these values based on their expected application environments.

3. Web Media APIs currently supported on all platforms

3.1 Introduction

This section is non-normative.

This section lists the web APIs to support media web apps that are supported across all four of the most widely used user agent code bases at the time of publication. We encourage manufacturers to develop products that support the APIs in the most recent version of this specification.

The approach taken in this draft is only to include specifications that are of particular significance to authors, but not include all the specifications cited by those included specifications. For example, HTTP is required by the HTML spec and is therefore not included here.

3.1.1 Features with limited implementation

Parts of some web specifications are not currently implemented across all user agent code bases and may never be. Consequently, these features will not be included in our tests. Any such features are noted as exceptions under that API.

3.1.2 At-risk features

Some specifications referenced in this section may not have reached Recommendation and, as such, may contain 'at-risk' features. Since the most common reason for features being marked as at-risk is lack of implementations, such features may not be present in some implementations of this specification and will not be tested as part of our tests.

3.2 Client code updates

The W3C Technical Architecture Group released a finding called The evergreen Web which strongly recommends that "Browsers must be regularly updated, especially to fix security and interoperability bugs — ideally with an automatic, secure update mechanism." [EVERGREEN-WEB]

Devices SHOULD regularly update their browsers, preferably automatically.