Timing on the web

[tidoust]

The Multi-Device Timing CG has been discussing single- and cross-device synchronization issues and possible improvements to existing algorithms that deal with time.

The Timing Object spec proposes to expose a "local object that may be used by Web clients to ensure precisely timed operation as well as flexible timing control".

[tidoust]

Housekeeping comment. This was discussed in the Strategy team today. Timing and synchronization issues keep being mentioned, among other things in media discussions.

What seems to be holding back the proposal:

• Feedback from implementers so far has been along the lines of: this requires a shift in paradigm that is complex to add at this point, especially as systems and browsers currently use multiple software-based and hardware-based clocks, and as this proposal would be "horizontal" to a number of other specs. Fixing timing issues in individual specs and letting apps handle cross-spec and cross-device synchronization aspects is much easier.
• As demonstrated by the existing service, most of it can already be implemented in JS land.
• Media companies have not been particularly pushing for progress in this area.

I'm closing this issue to signal that we are not currently actively working on the topic from a strategy team perspective. Happy to reopen if this gains some traction!

[tidoust]

The recently proposed Media Session Coordinator in WebKit would allow two or more clients to interact with the media controls and have those interactions reflected in the playback state of all clients simultaneously.

As in the Timing Object proposal, synchronization is left up to implementations, either done by the User Agent or provided by a library. The proposal mentions Timing Object.

I'm reopening the issue to track progress on the Media Session Coordinator proposal. To be discussed in the Media WG, see w3c/mediasession#266