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> The alternative would be unnecessary demux on the server side, or the client unnecessarily downloads irrelevant streams. HTTP file transfer protocols support
by bmacho 3y ago
> The alternative would be unnecessary demux on the server side, or the client unnecessarily downloads irrelevant streams.
HTTP file transfer protocols support partial downloads. A client can choose just to not to download irrelevant audio. I think most common web platforms already work this way, when you open a video it is likely to be in .mp4 format, and you need to get the end of it to play it, so your browser gets that part first. I am not entirely sure.
- toast0 3y agoI believe mp4 files can be repackaged to put the bookkeeping data at the front of the file, which makes them playable while doing a sequential download.
- Tigress8780 3y agoThat metadata is usually put around the end of the file for compatibility reasons, but one can use ffmpeg's `-movflags faststart` option to move it to the beginning (very common in files that are meant to be served on the web).