tags:

views:

440

answers:

4

Assuming the following:

  1. The browser in question doesn't limit the size of data URIs.
  2. There is actually a purpose to doing this (so please refrain from asking "what's the point?" and "you do realize base64 encoding will expand your file by 33%, right?").

Is it technically possible to encode an entire video or audio file into base64, and embed it in an HTML document using either <audio> or <video>?

+1  A: 

It should be possible, except in IE (not even in IE 8).

Note that Opera does limit the size of the URI.

SLaks
Do you know of any example of this in the wild? I'm curious to try it out.
oskar
No, I don't know of any.
SLaks
I probably should've just tried it myself =) It and it appears to work in Chrome, not sure about other browsers. Thanks.
oskar
+1  A: 

Works well with Firefox (Video + audio). I do it here: http://hacks.mozilla.org/2009/12/file-drag-and-drop-in-firefox-3-6/

Paul Rouget
A: 

It doesn't seem to work for me in IE9 Beta. Tried http://www.themaninblue.com/experiment/JS-909/ and the following test:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>

<audio controls="controls" autobuffer="autobuffer" autoplay="autoplay">
    <source src="data:audio/wav;base64,UklGRhwMAABXQVZFZm10IBAAAAABAAEAgD4AAIA+AAABAAgAZGF0Ya4LAACAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAf3hxeH+AfXZ1eHx6dnR5fYGFgoOKi42aloubq6GOjI2Op7ythXJ0eYF5aV1AOFFib32HmZSHhpCalIiYi4SRkZaLfnhxaWptb21qaWBea2BRYmZTVmFgWFNXVVVhaGdbYGhZbXh1gXZ1goeIlot1k6yxtKaOkaWhq7KonKCZoaCjoKWuqqmurK6ztrO7tbTAvru/vb68vbW6vLGqsLOfm5yal5KKhoyBeHt2dXBnbmljVlJWUEBBPDw9Mi4zKRwhIBYaGRQcHBURGB0XFxwhGxocJSstMjg6PTc6PUxVV1lWV2JqaXN0coCHhIyPjpOenqWppK6xu72yxMu9us7Pw83Wy9nY29ve6OPr6uvs6ezu6ejk6erm3uPj3dbT1sjBzdDFuMHAt7m1r7W6qaCupJOTkpWPgHqAd3JrbGlnY1peX1hTUk9PTFRKR0RFQkRBRUVEQkdBPjs9Pzo6NT04Njs+PTxAPzo/Ojk6PEA5PUJAQD04PkRCREZLUk1KT1BRUVdXU1VRV1tZV1xgXltcXF9hXl9eY2VmZmlna3J0b3F3eHyBfX+JgIWJiouTlZCTmpybnqSgnqyrqrO3srK2uL2/u7jAwMLFxsfEv8XLzcrIy83JzcrP0s3M0dTP0drY1dPR1dzc19za19XX2dnU1NjU0dXPzdHQy8rMysfGxMLBvLu3ta+sraeioJ2YlI+MioeFfX55cnJsaWVjXVlbVE5RTktHRUVAPDw3NC8uLyknKSIiJiUdHiEeGx4eHRwZHB8cHiAfHh8eHSEhISMoJyMnKisrLCszNy8yOTg9QEJFRUVITVFOTlJVWltaXmNfX2ZqZ21xb3R3eHqAhoeJkZKTlZmhpJ6kqKeur6yxtLW1trW4t6+us7axrbK2tLa6ury7u7u9u7vCwb+/vr7Ev7y9v8G8vby6vru4uLq+tri8ubi5t7W4uLW5uLKxs7G0tLGwt7Wvs7avr7O0tLW4trS4uLO1trW1trm1tLm0r7Kyr66wramsqaKlp52bmpeWl5KQkImEhIB8fXh3eHJrbW5mYGNcWFhUUE1LRENDQUI9ODcxLy8vMCsqLCgoKCgpKScoKCYoKygpKyssLi0sLi0uMDIwMTIuLzQ0Njg4Njc8ODlBQ0A/RUdGSU5RUVFUV1pdXWFjZGdpbG1vcXJ2eXh6fICAgIWIio2OkJGSlJWanJqbnZ2cn6Kkp6enq62srbCysrO1uLy4uL+/vL7CwMHAvb/Cvbq9vLm5uba2t7Sysq+urqyqqaalpqShoJ+enZuamZqXlZWTkpGSkpCNjpCMioqLioiHhoeGhYSGg4GDhoKDg4GBg4GBgoGBgoOChISChISChIWDg4WEgoSEgYODgYGCgYGAgICAgX99f398fX18e3p6e3t7enp7fHx4e3x6e3x7fHx9fX59fn1+fX19fH19fnx9fn19fX18fHx7fHx6fH18fXx8fHx7fH1+fXx+f319fn19fn1+gH9+f4B/fn+AgICAgH+AgICAgIGAgICAgH9+f4B+f35+fn58e3t8e3p5eXh4d3Z1dHRzcXBvb21sbmxqaWhlZmVjYmFfX2BfXV1cXFxaWVlaWVlYV1hYV1hYWVhZWFlaWllbXFpbXV5fX15fYWJhYmNiYWJhYWJjZGVmZ2hqbG1ub3Fxc3V3dnd6e3t8e3x+f3+AgICAgoGBgoKDhISFh4aHiYqKi4uMjYyOj4+QkZKUlZWXmJmbm52enqCioqSlpqeoqaqrrK2ur7CxsrGys7O0tbW2tba3t7i3uLe4t7a3t7i3tre2tba1tLSzsrKysbCvrq2sq6qop6alo6OioJ+dnJqZmJeWlJKSkI+OjoyLioiIh4WEg4GBgH9+fXt6eXh3d3V0c3JxcG9ubWxsamppaWhnZmVlZGRjYmNiYWBhYGBfYF9fXl5fXl1dXVxdXF1dXF1cXF1cXF1dXV5dXV5fXl9eX19gYGFgYWJhYmFiY2NiY2RjZGNkZWRlZGVmZmVmZmVmZ2dmZ2hnaGhnaGloZ2hpaWhpamlqaWpqa2pra2xtbGxtbm1ubm5vcG9wcXBxcnFycnN0c3N0dXV2d3d4eHh5ent6e3x9fn5/f4CAgIGCg4SEhYaGh4iIiYqLi4uMjY2Oj5CQkZGSk5OUlJWWlpeYl5iZmZqbm5ybnJ2cnZ6en56fn6ChoKChoqGio6KjpKOko6SjpKWkpaSkpKSlpKWkpaSlpKSlpKOkpKOko6KioaKhoaCfoJ+enp2dnJybmpmZmJeXlpWUk5STkZGQj4+OjYyLioqJh4eGhYSEgoKBgIB/fn59fHt7enl5eHd3dnZ1dHRzc3JycXBxcG9vbm5tbWxrbGxraWppaWhpaGdnZ2dmZ2ZlZmVmZWRlZGVkY2RjZGNkZGRkZGRkZGRkZGRjZGRkY2RjZGNkZWRlZGVmZWZmZ2ZnZ2doaWhpaWpra2xsbW5tbm9ub29wcXFycnNzdHV1dXZ2d3d4eXl6enp7fHx9fX5+f4CAgIGAgYGCgoOEhISFhoWGhoeIh4iJiImKiYqLiouLjI2MjI2OjY6Pj46PkI+QkZCRkJGQkZGSkZKRkpGSkZGRkZKRkpKRkpGSkZKRkpGSkZKRkpGSkZCRkZCRkI+Qj5CPkI+Pjo+OjY6Njo2MjYyLjIuMi4qLioqJiomJiImIh4iHh4aHhoaFhoWFhIWEg4SDg4KDgoKBgoGAgYCBgICAgICAf4CAf39+f35/fn1+fX59fHx9fH18e3x7fHt6e3p7ent6e3p5enl6enl6eXp5eXl4eXh5eHl4eXh5eHl4eXh5eHh3eHh4d3h4d3h3d3h4d3l4eHd4d3h3eHd4d3h3eHh4eXh5eHl4eHl4eXh5enl6eXp5enl6eXp5ent6ent6e3x7fHx9fH18fX19fn1+fX5/fn9+f4B/gH+Af4CAgICAgIGAgYCBgoGCgYKCgoKDgoOEg4OEg4SFhIWEhYSFhoWGhYaHhoeHhoeGh4iHiIiHiImIiImKiYqJiYqJiouKi4qLiouKi4qLiouKi4qLiouKi4qLi4qLiouKi4qLiomJiomIiYiJiImIh4iIh4iHhoeGhYWGhYaFhIWEg4OEg4KDgoOCgYKBgIGAgICAgH+Af39+f359fn18fX19fHx8e3t6e3p7enl6eXp5enl6enl5eXh5eHh5eHl4eXh5eHl4eHd5eHd3eHl4d3h3eHd4d3h3eHh4d3h4d3h3d3h5eHl4eXh5eHl5eXp5enl6eXp7ent6e3p7e3t7fHt8e3x8fHx9fH1+fX59fn9+f35/gH+AgICAgICAgYGAgYKBgoGCgoKDgoOEg4SEhIWFhIWFhoWGhYaGhoaHhoeGh4aHhoeIh4iHiIeHiIeIh4iHiIeIiIiHiIeIh4iHiIiHiIeIh4iHiIeIh4eIh4eIh4aHh4aHhoeGh4aHhoWGhYaFhoWFhIWEhYSFhIWEhISDhIOEg4OCg4OCg4KDgYKCgYKCgYCBgIGAgYCBgICAgICAgICAf4B/f4B/gH+Af35/fn9+f35/fn1+fn19fn1+fX59fn19fX19fH18fXx9fH18fXx9fH18fXx8fHt8e3x7fHt8e3x7fHt8e3x7fHt8e3x7fHt8e3x7fHt8e3x8e3x7fHt8e3x7fHx8fXx9fH18fX5+fX59fn9+f35+f35/gH+Af4B/gICAgICAgICAgICAgYCBgIGAgIGAgYGBgoGCgYKBgoGCgYKBgoGCgoKDgoOCg4KDgoOCg4KDgoOCg4KDgoOCg4KDgoOCg4KDgoOCg4KDgoOCg4KDgoOCg4KDgoOCg4KDgoOCg4KCgoGCgYKBgoGCgYKBgoGCgYKBgoGCgYKBgoGCgYKBgoGCgYKBgoGCgYKBgoGBgYCBgIGAgYCBgIGAgYCBgIGAgYCBgIGAgYCBgIGAgYCAgICBgIGAgYCBgIGAgYCBgIGAgYCBgExJU1RCAAAASU5GT0lDUkQMAAAAMjAwOC0wOS0yMQAASUVORwMAAAAgAAABSVNGVBYAAABTb255IFNvdW5kIEZvcmdlIDguMAAA" />
</audio>

</body>
</html>
Jon Galloway
+1  A: 

These are my test results. I'll try with Ogg as well if prompted.

Legend

  • W = Wave, WD = Wave with base64 encoded data:uri
  • M = MP3, MD = MP3 with base64 encoded data:uri

Test results

  • Chrome 6.0.472.55: M, MD (no wave)
  • Firefox 3.6: W, WD (no mp3:s)
  • Firefox 4.0b1: W, WD (no mp3:s)
  • iPad iOS 3.2: W, M (no data:uri)
  • iPhone iOS 4: W, M (no data:uri)
  • Opera 10.62: W, WD (no mp3:s)
  • Safari 5.0.1: W, WD, M, MD
Cybear