Support standards like AC3 with 5.1 passthrough and MKV containers

[WebWeWantBot]

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title: Support standards like AC3 with 5.1 passthrough and MKV containers
date: 2024-06-05T08:57:28.372Z
submitter: PRIVATE
number: 66602878238b7502e1870db4
tags: [ ]
discussion: https://github.com/WebWeWant/webwewant.fyi/discussions/
status: [ discussing || in-progress || complete ]
related:

• title:
  url:
  type: [ article || explainer || draft || spec || note || discussion ]

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VLC and MPC and Windows Media Player support AC3 5.1 passthrough for a very long time, 20 years or so now. Edge supports AC3 and until recently supported 5.1 passthrough with AC3 as well. In the last few months Edge plays but doesn't pass-through the 5.1 anymore. Chrome and Firefox don't even play AC3.

Kinda seems like modern browsers should at least be on par with decades old open-source video players and codecs and built-in video players. AC3 patents have expired years ago. I don't see a good reason why this doesn't just work in all browsers.

Speaking of supporting common standards, maybe time to support MKV container too. For a long time it's been the successor to MP4 container. Seems pretty backwards that MP4 files can be opened and played and MKV can't (unless you rename the file to MP4......).

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If posted, this will appear at https://webwewant.fyi/wants/66602878238b7502e1870db4/