OpenRV Web

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Browser Requirements ​

OpenRV Web runs entirely in the browser and relies on modern web APIs for GPU-accelerated rendering, video decoding, and audio playback. This page lists the minimum browser versions, required APIs, and optional capabilities.

Minimum Browser Versions ​

BrowserMinimum VersionNotes
Google Chrome56+Recommended for best feature coverage
Mozilla Firefox51+Full support
Apple Safari15+macOS and iOS
Microsoft Edge79+Chromium-based versions

All browsers must support WebGL2 as the primary rendering backend. Older browsers without WebGL2 cannot run OpenRV Web.

Required APIs ​

These APIs are essential for core functionality. OpenRV Web will not operate correctly without them.

WebGL2 ​

WebGL2 powers the GPU-accelerated rendering pipeline, including the fragment shader chain for color corrections, tone mapping, LUT processing, and display output. Without WebGL2, no image rendering occurs.

Web Audio API ​

The Web Audio API handles audio playback, volume control, waveform extraction, and audio-video sync with drift correction. It is required for any media that includes an audio track.

HTML5 Canvas ​

The Canvas 2D API is used for the timeline, scopes (histogram, waveform, vectorscope), color wheels, curve editor, and annotation rendering. It also serves as a fallback HDR display path.

File API ​

The HTML5 File API enables drag-and-drop file loading and the file picker dialog. All media loading depends on this API.

These APIs enhance the experience but are not strictly required. OpenRV Web detects their availability at startup and enables features accordingly.

WebCodecs ​

WebCodecs provides frame-accurate video decoding through the mediabunny library. It is available in Chrome 94+, Edge 94+, and Safari 16.4+. Firefox does not yet support WebCodecs. Without it, video playback falls back to the HTMLVideoElement, which may not provide frame-level precision.

IndexedDB ​

IndexedDB stores session snapshots, auto-save data, and crash recovery information. Without it, auto-save and snapshot features are unavailable. All modern browsers support IndexedDB.

Optional APIs ​

These APIs unlock advanced features. The application functions without them but with reduced capability.

WebGPU (Experimental) ​

WebGPU enables the experimental HDR rendering backend with rgba16float textures and extended tone mapping. It is available behind flags in Chrome 113+ and is not yet widely supported. OpenRV Web automatically falls back to WebGL2 when WebGPU is unavailable.

BroadcastChannel ​

The BroadcastChannel API enables the External Presentation feature, which opens secondary browser windows and synchronizes frame number, playback state, and color metadata as text overlays via same-origin messaging. Available in Chrome 54+, Firefox 38+, and Safari 15.4+. Note: the presentation window does not render the actual viewer image — it displays a blank canvas with frame/playback/color information as text only. Full viewer synchronization is not yet implemented (see issue #29).

Fullscreen API ​

The Fullscreen API provides native fullscreen mode via F11 or the toolbar button. It requires a secure context (HTTPS). Note that presentation mode (clean display with cursor auto-hide) is a separate feature that does not depend on the Fullscreen API; it works by hiding UI elements and auto-hiding the cursor within the normal browser window.

Clipboard API ​

The Clipboard API enables copying the current frame to the system clipboard via Ctrl+C. It requires a secure context and user permission.

WebRTC ​

WebRTC enables optional peer-to-peer connections as an alternative transport for collaborative review sessions, with NAT traversal via STUN/TURN servers. Normal collaboration uses WebSocket transport and works without WebRTC. When available, WebRTC can be used for direct peer-to-peer data transfer as an optimization.

Hi-DPI and Retina Support ​

OpenRV Web automatically detects devicePixelRatio and renders all canvas-based UI components at native resolution. This includes the viewer, scopes, color wheels, curve editor, and overlays. Displays with 2x, 3x, or fractional DPR values are fully supported for crisp rendering.

Mobile Browser Support ​

OpenRV Web works on mobile browsers with WebGL2 support, including Safari on iOS 15+ and Chrome on Android. Touch interactions (pinch-to-zoom, tap-to-seek) are supported. See the Browser Compatibility Matrix for known touch interaction limitations. However, the interface is optimized for desktop displays, and some features (keyboard shortcuts, drag-and-drop) are limited on mobile devices.

Compatibility Check ​

On first load, OpenRV Web runs a capability detection check for WebGL2, WebGPU, video frame texturing, Display P3 color, and HDR display support. The results inform which rendering paths and features are enabled. If WebGL2 is unavailable, the application displays an error message rather than loading a broken interface.

Released under the MIT License.

Copyright 2024-present Alex Kanunnikov