Addressing Video Playback Issues on Landing Page

The Issue

Users reported that embedded WebM videos on the landing page were not playing correctly across all browsers and devices. This was particularly noticeable with VP9-encoded WebM files.

The Solution

To ensure a consistent and reliable user experience, the decision was made to temporarily remove the problematic WebM video files and rely solely on MP4 versions for video playback.

The following files were removed:

• public/assets/videos/devlog-promo-de.webm
• public/assets/videos/devlog-promo-en.webm
• public/assets/videos/devlog-promo-es.webm
• public/assets/videos/devlog-promo-fr.webm
• public/assets/videos/devlog-promo-mobile-de.webm
• public/assets/videos/devlog-promo-mobile-en.webm
• public/assets/videos/devlog-promo-mobile-es.webm
• public/assets/videos/devlog-promo-mobile-fr.webm

Justification

While WebM offers potential benefits in terms of compression and open-source compatibility, consistent playback across diverse environments is paramount. MP4, with its wider support, provides a more dependable solution for the immediate needs of the landing page.

Next Steps

Further investigation into the VP9 encoding and browser compatibility issues with the WebM videos is planned. This will involve:

1. Testing different encoding settings for WebM.
2. Analyzing browser-specific behavior.
3. Considering alternative video formats or codecs for future implementation.

Once a reliable solution is identified, WebM support may be reintroduced to the landing page.