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Version: 3.0

VP8 Codec

VP8 is an open-source video codec developed by Google and widely used in WebRTC applications. It is a reliable alternative to H.264, especially in environments where licensing or open standards are preferred.

Why Use VP8?​

  • Open Source & Royalty-Free: No licensing costs, making it ideal for open platforms
  • WebRTC Native Support: Fully supported in WebRTC across major browsers
  • Good Compatibility: Works well on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge
  • Stable for Real-Time Streaming: Suitable for low-latency applications

Limitations​

  • Limited Hardware Acceleration: Not as widely hardware-accelerated as H.264, especially on mobile devices
  • Recording Restrictions: Does not support HLS or MP4 recording formats.
  • Lower Device Compatibility: Some devices and browsers (e.g., Safari) may have limited or no support
  • Higher CPU Usage: Encoding/decoding may consume more resources compared to H.264.

Enable VP8 Codec​

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The VP8 codec can be enabled from application settings via the web panel.

  • SFU Mode: Only VP8 streams are ingested and forwarded without transcoding
  • Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) Mode: VP8 streams are transcoded into multiple bitrates for adaptive playback

When to Use VP8​

VP8 is a recommended choice when:

  • You prefer a fully open-source and royalty-free codec
  • Your application is primarily focused on WebRTC-based streaming
  • Your target audience mainly uses modern browsers such as Chrome and Firefox
  • You do not require HLS or MP4 recording support
  • You want a lightweight codec with broad WebRTC compatibility

Streaming and Playback with VP8​

Only the WebRTC protocol supports stream publishing with the VP8 codec in Ant Media Server.

Check out the WebRTC publishing & WebRTC playback to publish/play streams with VP8.

Important Notes​

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HLS and MP4 recordings require the H.264 codec. Enabling only VP8 limits recording to WebM format and playback primarily to WebRTC.