When a media element loads, reaches the HAVE_CURRENT_DATA state, but is paused, and 'autoplay' is not set, we have to decide whether to keep downloading data or not. If we expect the user to play the stream, we should keep downloading and buffering data to minimize the chance that buffering will be needed during playback. But if we don't expect the user to play the stream, we should pause the download to conserve resources. The latter is especially important on pages with large numbers of media elements, only one or two of which the user will play.
In general it's hard to see how to make a good guess automatically. If a page has one (non-autoplay) media element on it, it's hard to know whether the user is expected or not expected to play it. For example the user might be expected to play it, but only after they've read some text before the video (so autoplay is not appropriate). I think (but I'm not sure) that authors are likely to be able to make better guesses, so I think it would be useful to provide authors with control over this decision. I think that authors are likely to want this control in the same way they like to be able to preload images. So, how about adding an "autobuffer" attribute, which instructs the browser that the user will probably play the video and as much data as possible should be pre-downloaded? By default (when the attribute is not present) the browser would be expected to pause the download after reaching HAVE_CURRENT_DATA if the media element is paused and not 'autoplay'. Rob -- "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." [Isaiah 53:5-6]
