Introduction to


Why is WebRTC cool?

  • Create real-time applications with just a few lines of JavaScript.
pc = new webkitRTCPeerConnection(servers);
pc.onaddstream = gotRemoteStream;
//...
function gotRemoteStream(e){
  vid.src = URL.createObjectURL(e.stream);
}

  • Works cross-platform.

  • Save money on operations.

  • Without browser plugins!

WebRTC Cookbook

  1. Get access to (streaming) audio, video or other data.

  2. Find out how people can connect to me on the Internet.

  3. Find out about supported media formats and browser capabilities.

  4. Exchange this information with peers.

  5. Stream your audio, video and data.

  6. Enjoy your session.

What is WebRTC?

WebRTC is peer-to-peer multi-media communication for the browser.

  • Javascript APIs for control.

  • Protocols and infrastructure components for networking.

Standardization

  • The JavaScript API is standardized by the W3C Web Real-Time Communications Working Group.

  • The protocols and infrastructure components are standardized by the IETF Real-Time Communication in WEB-browsers Working Group.

What is WebRTC not?

  • It is not an application!

  • It is not a network.

  • WebRTC does not provide signaling:

    • is left as responsibility of application developer.
    • viable options include SIP, XMPP and proprietary protocols based on, for example, socket.io or websockets.

Components

The major WebRTC APIs are:

About the supported media

  • The Opus Audio Codec.

  • PCMA/PCMU (scaling algorithms for audio sampling).

  • DTMF (“press 1 for sales” phone menus).

  • Arbritary data.

  • Video …

Under discussion

  • The video codec: VP8 and/or h264?

  • Use of SDP offer/answer or alternatives.

Uptake

  • Browsers

  • Platforms

  • Market

Browsers

  • Support in Firefox, Chrome and Opera.

  • No support yet in Internet Explorer and Safari.

  • Firefox & Chrome are sort of interoperable since May 2013.

  • Minor API differences between browsers.

  • There are differences in implementation progress.

  • See also iswebrtcreadyyet.com

Browser reach is almost 50%!

Platforms

  • Major PC platforms are supported (Windows, Mac OSX, Linux).

  • Mobile is fragmented:

    • Android has support by Chrome, Firefox and Opera.

    • iOS: only through native SDKs.

    • Windows Mobile: no support.

    • Firefox OS: no support yet.

Market uptake

  • Lot of innovation:

    • Communication services.

    • Content Delivery Networks.

    • Gaming.

    • Developer frameworks.

  • For stats and metrics checkout: webrtcstats.com

Questions?

Next up…

  • deep dive into the WebRTC architecture.