This is similar to an issue I've come across in Chrome recently: I get asked to enable the QuickTime plugin every time I access a site with QT (e.g., any trailer on trailers.apple.com).
> Some plug-ins, such as Flash, are used by many websites on the Internet. Other plug-ins are only used by a small number of sites. Since plug-ins can occasionally be a security risk, Google Chrome now blocks plug-ins that are not widely used.
Which runs counter to the conventional wisdom that a larger installed base means a larger attack target and seems a bit anti-competitive especially since Google is trying to push WebM over the Apple-backed H.264 and the deal Google made with Adobe to bundle Flash.
seems a bit anti-competitive especially since Google is trying to push WebM over the Apple-backed H.264
Google Chrome still includes H.264 support. They said they were going to remove it a year ago, but never did. There's no need to install plugins to play H.264 video with Chrome.
PS. Pushing a royality-free standard over a heavily patented one is anti-competitive?
The plan to remove H.264 support is probably why trailers.apple.com served up an <object> rather than <video>.
When Chrome does lose H.264 support, I'll be using the QuickTime plugin even more to play H.264 videos. Then, the only way for me to watch H.264 in Chrome is by a plugin that is purposefully given an inferior user experience for a BS reason. If security were the real reason, the Flash plugin should also get the same treatment as QuickTime given its history of security flaws and crappy performance (at least on OS X).
Flash should not be given the same treatment, because the browser itself bundles an up to date version.
Nevertheless, the handling of QuickTime stinks. They should check the version number and only disable if it is out of date. Their current approach is just inviting complaints.
There's no way to disable this checking globally aside from using a command line flag. If you hit the link for more information, you are taken to this page (https://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&an...), which states:
> Some plug-ins, such as Flash, are used by many websites on the Internet. Other plug-ins are only used by a small number of sites. Since plug-ins can occasionally be a security risk, Google Chrome now blocks plug-ins that are not widely used.
Which runs counter to the conventional wisdom that a larger installed base means a larger attack target and seems a bit anti-competitive especially since Google is trying to push WebM over the Apple-backed H.264 and the deal Google made with Adobe to bundle Flash.