The licensing issues around codecs and their use are complex, and I lack a suitable background to give a definitive answer as to if the approach you're suggesting would avoid issue. On the technical side it remains a complex issue. There is not a standardized way to expose codecs to a browser. Historically there have been systems such as Direct Show on Windows which allowed for some standardization, but in this case Microsoft are moving away from such an approach. So there is not easy way for the browser to just pick up and use something. There are other technical issues, such as compatibility and ensuring the codecs work well. Beyond that there are privacy and security concerns around loading what can amount to arbitrary code from a users local machine. Even if the codecs themselves were not malicious, this is an area where a poorly implemented codec could expose users to significant risk. Because of these details this is not something we're considering at this point. Closing this bug, as it seems the primary issue of being unable to play certain videos has been addressed.
Bug 1588344 Comment 14 Edit History
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The licensing issues around codecs and their use are complex, and I lack a suitable background to give a definitive answer as to if the approach you're suggesting would avoid issue. On the technical side it remains a complex issue. There is not a standardized way to expose codecs to a browser. Historically there have been systems such as Direct Show on Windows which allowed for some standardization, but in this case Microsoft are moving away from such an approach. So there is not an easy way for the browser to just pick up and use something. There are other technical issues, such as compatibility and ensuring the codecs work well. Beyond that there are privacy and security concerns around loading what can amount to arbitrary code from a users local machine. Even if the codecs themselves were not malicious, this is an area where a poorly implemented codec could expose users to significant risk. Because of these details this is not something we're considering at this point. Closing this bug, as it seems the primary issue of being unable to play certain videos has been addressed.