WebRTC is a protocol that enables browser-to-browser and browser-to-server communications, making web pages much more responsive, app-like, and real-time.
It provides a standardized API to the functions of a real-time communication device, built into a web browser, simplifying video & audio communications that until now, were only possible using dedicated applications and devices. Its origins come from W3C and IETF solidifies its credentials.
To date only Firefox, Opera, and Chrome — which, arguably, accounts for more than half of all web browsing — support WebRTC.
Having an API does not mean that problems of packet-based video and audio transport over the Internet (congestion control, rate control, error resilience, error concealment…)had been solved.
This is partially solved with Vidyo. In August 2013 announced that it has signed an agreement with Google to enhance video quality in web-native applications that do not require any plugins or special software. This will be implemente in Google VP9, while Apple and Microsoft are sticking to H.264 and its successor, H.265. Both have the potential to improve online video while decreasing required bandwidth, but H.264/5 has royalty payments associated with it, while VP8/9 is intended to be free and open.
As part of the agreement, Google will license Vidyo’s scalable video coding extensions for use in its free and open source VP9 video codec, which will be used as part of the WebRTC client open source project.
In fact Vidyo already provides the software that powers Google Hangouts on Google+.
Further information in WebRTC , in Alternativa de google al codec H.265 and in Vidyo.
