The encyclopedia · Software & IT · Technical decision · 2011–2017
WebRTC put real-time audio and video straight in the browser
WebRTC let browsers capture and stream audio, video and data peer-to-peer without plugins, and it became the web's realtime standard.
W3C · IETF · Google
the move
Real-time calls used to require a plugin, a native app, or special-purpose software and a separate install.
WebRTC standardized media capture and peer-to-peer data flows directly in the browser, worked out by the IETF and the W3C together.
A plain web page became a meeting, a monitoring feed or a sharing session without the user installing anything.
why it works
- In-browser capture and peer-to-peer streaming removed the install step entirely.
- Building the API and the transport as one standard made calls work across browsers and networks.
- Free encryption and NAT traversal made it operate over ordinary connections.
- It let a web link itself become the whole meeting, with no dedicated app.
what transfers
A standard that moves a capability into the default application removes the barrier of installing something new.
what came after
WebRTC now underpins browser-based video calls, remote support and many live apps, and the API is supported by all major browsers.
references
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