This blog post is an update to “Is this the end of ‘cenc’? An overview of DRM/Codec support in 2021”. If you still need to support Smart TV devices older than 2020 it is still not the end of ‘cenc’, but with time, these devices will phase out.
So what are the key changes since 2021?
- New Audio Codec Column:
- A new audio codec column has been added, in addition to the existing video codec column.
- Often overlooked in these types of analyses, we keep it simple for now with ‘AAC’ and ‘AC-3’.
- In terms of DRM, especially the higher security levels apply to video tracks, as audio tracks are typically encrypted with the lowest security level
- More Device Support for HEVC and AV1:
- Note the increased support for HEVC and AV1 across more devices.
- However, combining these codecs with DRM is currently a work in progress.
- MMS for iOS:
- The introduction of Managed Media Source (MMS) on iOS does not have implications on additional DRM or codec support
- However, it raises iOS player development to the same level as iPadOS and macOS – fragmentation no more
- Community Engagement:
- Thanks to the community for providing comments in the evergreen Google Sheet.
- Feel free to continue providing comments. They will be merged as soon as possible.
See you again in three years!