Encrypted Media Extensions

Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) is a <a href="/facts/W3C/lGWmhF6M">W3C</a> specification for providing a communication channel between <a href="/facts/Web_browser/2pfyymLs">web browsers</a> and the Content Decryption Module (CDM) software which implements <a href="/facts/Digital_rights_management/4AF8JmDt">digital rights management</a> (DRM). This allows the use of <a href="/facts/HTML_video/DKUclA1k">HTML video</a> to play back DRM-wrapped content such as <a href="/facts/Streaming_video/4rPhSq0Y">streaming video</a> services without the use of heavy third-party media plugins like <a href="/facts/Adobe_Flash/3Lrp9JuH">Adobe Flash</a> or <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Silverlight/SYKe8yL1">Microsoft Silverlight</a> (both discontinued). The use of a third-party <a href="/facts/Key_management/1l6mSswW">key management system</a> may be required, depending on whether the publisher chooses to scramble the keys.
EME is based on the <a href="/facts/Media_Source_Extensions/S04uPs6g">Media Source Extensions</a> (MSE) specification, which enables adaptive bitrate streaming in HTML audio and video, e.g. using <a href="/facts/MPEG-DASH/V1sHKrlC">MPEG-DASH</a> with <a href="/facts/MPEG_Common_Encryption/7N0C1kC1">MPEG-CENC</a> protected content.
EME has been highly controversial because it places a necessarily <a href="/facts/Proprietary_software/9zcskxYL">proprietary</a>, closed decryption component which requires per-browser licensing fees into what might otherwise be an entirely open and free software ecosystem. On July 6, 2017, W3C publicly announced its intention to publish an EME web standard, and did so on September 18. On the same day, the <a href="/facts/Electronic_Frontier_Foundation/vCy44tuo">Electronic Frontier Foundation</a>, who joined in 2014 to participate in the decision making, published an open letter resigning from W3C.

Encrypted Media Extensions open-in-new

Encrypted Media Extensions