Kathy Gill invited people on the online-news list to join her conversation about the major networks use of Windows Media video formats instead of a more agnostic file format.
That reminded me of the whole AP Video Network babble-prattle about its use of Windows only and Internet Explorer technologies. Mark Glaser, Steve Yelvington and others have weighed in on it.
To me, it’s a ho-hum issue.

Yes, we use a combination of Window Media video, mp4 and more open Flash video. For audio, we use mp3 or put it in Flash.
And, we are among the 450 plus Web sites that have signed on to the AP Video. So far, I had one user complain twice — and he was incredulous when I told he was the first KnoxNews to complain they couldn’t see the AP videos. I may be inviting more incoming in my webmaster box, but that’s my real world mileage.
A mere 9.5 percent of our users this year are using Firefox; 78.8 percent are using IE.
The OS war is more lopsided; 3.2 percent of our users are using a Mac OS; 80.4 percent are using Windows XP and the rest are using creakier, older version of Windows. Admittedly, our site may be less friendly to the Mac OS (we do not supported IE on the Mac, for example, and so, OS 9 users get funky screens). Our Omniture reports peg the Internet average 8.5 percent vs our 3.2.
I don’t think AP or the networks are arrogant or lackies of the Microsofties (depending on your point of view); they are looking considering what the user has and making financial decisions based on what makes economic sense right now.
I do believe the ads are often too long for the video for that comes after. Hopefully some generally accepted standards will begin to develop.
That’s my sound bite.