Whether or not its a long time before (if ever) <video> goes mainstream doesn't matter. What matters is that an alternative to formats that require a payment is

Whether or not its a long time before (if ever) <video> goes mainstream doesn't matter. What matters is that an alternative to formats that require a payment is needed. For people who want to use non-proprietary formats, or don't want to pay licensing fees for videos they provide. There should be a way for these people to use video on the web. Even if it remains only a niche usage, and at least provides some leverage to reduce the licensing costs of other formats.