On Ubuntu, ffmpeg and it's libraries are not installed by default, and Firefox 
is installed.

However, even installing via apt install ffmpeg later, Firefox does not use 
those libraries, despite the fact
that the installed ffmpeg is indeed compiled with --enable-libx265 and 
/usr/lib/libx265.so.199 is
present in the system (after installing ffmpeg)

Note that Firefox COULD BE COMPILED to use a HARDWARE based H.265 
implementation if available on
The platform it is running on.  In this case, there would be no royalty payment 
required to MPAA-LA from
Mozilla

But as I said, this is a religious war.  Mozilla devs appear to be fighting 
every attempt to even include support
That legally would not be requiring them to pay royalties.

I believe if you attempt to load a H.265  .mp4 in your Archlinux firefox you 
will find it won't play, either.

Like I said the only option for Firefox, apparently, is downloading the H.265 
video, transcoding it to H.264 via
Ffmpeg, then viewing it in Firefox.  Which is pointless since you can just 
install VLC on Linux and view the
H.265 file directly.  Or compile Chromium with libx265.

Ted


-----Original Message-----
From: PLUG <[email protected]> On Behalf Of carl day
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2023 10:57 AM
To: Portland Linux/Unix Group <[email protected]>
Cc: Portland Linux/Unix Group <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [PLUG] Can someone enlighten me on H.265/HEVC

Maybe distros are different, using Archlinux Firefox depends on ffmpeg, ffmpeg 
depends on libx265 [can make Chrome/Chromium unGooGled]

On 2/27/23, MC_Sequoia <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Is it possible to get Firefox to display HEVC videos?  Everything I 
> have read indicates the Mozilla developers have some religious war 
> thing going on with MPEG-LA and refuse to put support into Firefox for it -"
>
> HEVC isn't supported in Firefox because it's no a license-free codec.
>
> Some people might color that as a "religious war", but those people 
> don't understand the foundational principles and underpinning values 
> and social contracts of Linux, Open Source and the Mozilla Foundation.
>

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