TLDR
- Player Web X now supports Media over QUIC (MoQ) playback, bringing sub-second latency to modern web browsers
- MoQ eliminates the traditional trade-off between latency, scale, and infrastructure complexity
- Built on Player Web X’s framework and plugin-first architecture, enabling MoQ integration without touching core player code
- Current implementation uses WebCodecs API for optimal performance on modern browsers
- Successfully tested against public MoQ streams, including Cloudflare’s global relay network
- Unlocks new use cases: live sports, auctions, interactive entertainment, and real-time audience engagement
- Future roadmap includes MSE fallback and WebRTC fallback for broader device compatibility
Let’s get started
For two decades, streaming services building live workflows have had to pick two out of these 3 options: sub-second latency, broadcast scale, or simple infrastructure. Most services optimized for two goals and accepted the cost of the third with this trade-off shaping protocol choices, CDN strategy, and even product design. The result has been lag, spoilers, and fewer real time features during peaks.
Want WebRTC’s ultra-low latency for your live streams? You’ll need to build and maintain complex infrastructure with specialized servers. Prefer the simplicity and scale of HLS/DASH? Accept 3-30 seconds of glass-to-glass delay that can frustrate viewers and kill interactivity. However, there is now a better path, Media over QUIC (MoQ).
This emerging IETF standard introduces a different approach of deploying live workflows and delivers all three: WebRTC-level latency, HLS-level scale, and simple infrastructure. Built on QUIC, it can be deployed on the web via HTTP/3 and WebTransport, enabling it to run on a very large number of devices and platforms.
With that being said, we are excited to announce that Bitmovin’s Player Web X now supports MoQ playback, bringing sub-second streaming to the web. In this blog, we cover the implementation, what we tested, and what comes next.
The End of the Latency Trilemma
The history of streaming protocols is a series of compromises. RTMP gave us low latency but suffered scalability issues. On the other hand, HLS and DASH provides scalability by splitting video into segments and sending them as static files over HTTP but baked 15-30 seconds of latency directly into the workflow. WebRTC conquered latency with peer-to-peer connections, but required complex infrastructure for broadcast scenarios, essentially building a private, stateful CDN.
Built on QUIC’s multiplexed streams, MoQ reduces head-of-line blocking seen in TCP-based protocols like RTMP. It handles network transitions more gracefully when viewers switch from Wi-Fi to cellular, and provides TLS encryption by default for all connections.
What MoQ enables:
- Sub-second latency: comparable to WebRTC
- Broadcast scale: Capable of reaching millions of viewers, like HLS/DASH
- Simple infrastructure: Runs on standard HTTP/3, no specialized servers required
- Bidirectional communication: Native support for interactive features like polls, Q&A, and real-time engagement using the same bidirectional stream to send data back from clients to servers
How Player Web X Made MoQ Integration Straightforward
Integrating a brand-new protocol into a production video player typically requires significant refactoring work. This is where Player Web X’s architecture proved its value.
Built on a the structured concurrency framework with a plugin-first design (Building an extensible video player on top of a structured concurrency framework), we were able to add MoQ support without touching the player’s core codebase. The framework makes it natural to handle the complex asynchronous operations that MoQ requires, including managing multiple concurrent streams and coordinating bidirectional communication,all while keeping the codebase clean, maintainable.
Example of our Player Web X Demo for MoQ
Our current implementation leverages the WebCodecs API for modern browsers, delivering optimal performance with MoQ’s CMAF segments. The API provides low-level access to video and audio encoding and decoding, allowing us to handle MoQ streams with minimal overhead.
Future development will extend compatibility with MSE (Media Source Extensions) fallback for broader device support, seamlessly handling devices without WebCodecs support.
Real-World Testing and Performance
We’ve successfully tested Player Web X MoQ integration against public streams, including Cloudflare’s global relay network. The results confirm MoQ’s promise: consistent sub-second latency with smooth playback and seamless quality adaptation under varying network conditions.
In regards to further performance testing, we’re working with the broader MoQ ecosystem to ensure interoperability across different implementations. As stated earlier, MoQ is an emerging open standard through the IETF, with contributions from Meta, Google, Cisco, and the OpenMoQ consortium and our testing confirms that streams from different implementations play flawlessly in Player Web X.
What MoQ Unlocks for Streaming Services
MoQ fundamentally expands what streaming platforms can offer. Experiences that require split-second synchronization and real-time interaction across massive audiences have the potential to be technically and economically viable now such as:
- Live Sports and Esports: Real-time reactions and polls without spoilers. When latency drops below one second, viewers can participate in synchronized social experiences where the crowd’s roar and your audience’s reaction happen together, not seconds apart.
- Commerce and Auctions: Fair, synchronized events where every viewer sees the same moment simultaneously. Split-second timing matters when products drop or bids close, and MoQ makes it possible to run truly fair events that eliminate the advantage of having a faster stream.
- Interactive Entertainment: Game shows, live Q&A, and polls become genuinely interactive rather than frustratingly delayed. Hosts can respond to audiences in real-time, creating authentic two-way engagement.
- Live Events: Synchronize lighting, graphics, and interactive elements with performances, knowing every viewer experiences them together. Layer interactive experiences onto live content without the coordination nightmare of variable latency.
- These capabilities translate directly to measurable business impact: higher engagement, longer viewing sessions, and new revenue streams that weren’t previously possible at scale.
Known Limitations and Future Roadmap
For streaming platforms evaluating MoQ adoption, understanding the current device compatibility landscape is critical for deployment planning. While modern browsers like Chrome and Edge support the required APIs, there are some constraints to consider:
Current Limitations:
- WebTransport support is required, which limits playback to modern browsers that support this API
- WebCodecs API is currently used for rendering, which also requires modern browser support
- Some older devices, set-top boxes, and legacy smart TVs cannot yet play MoQ streams
Our Roadmap: MoQ is an emerging standard, and we’re committed to evolving our Player Web X integration as it matures. Our roadmap includes:
- MSE fallback support for broader device compatibility, enabling playback on devices without WebCodecs API support
- WebRTC fallback for devices without WebTransport support, ensuring MoQ’s benefits reach the widest possible audience while maintaining dramatically lower latency than traditional LL-HLS or DASH streams
This phased approach ensures that early adopters can start using MoQ today on modern devices, while we continue expanding compatibility to reach maximum audience.
Getting Started with Player Web X and MoQ
The infrastructure is here. The player is ready. What will you build?
MoQ represents a fundamental shift in what’s possible for live content delivery. Whether you’re streaming sports, running live commerce events, or building the next generation of interactive entertainment, Player Web X provides the flexible, future-proof foundation to take advantage of this emerging technology.
Ready to bring sub-second latency to your streams? Contact us to discuss how Player Web X with MoQ support can transform your viewer experience.
Looking for more information on Player Web X’s technical capabilities? Visit our developer documentation (Will be updated soon to reflect MoQ enablement)
Questions and Answers around Media over QUIC (MoQ)
1. What is Media over QUIC (MoQ)?
Media over QUIC is an emerging IETF protocol that delivers media over QUIC and HTTP/3, with the goal of combining sub-second latency, broadcast scale, and more efficient media delivery for interactive and live use cases.
2. Who is working on the MoQ standard today?
MoQ is being standardized in the IETF MoQ Working Group, which includes engineers from across the industry, such as browser vendors, CDNs, streaming platforms, and networking companies including Cloudflare, Meta, Google, Cisco, and others.
3. How does Bitmovin’s Player Web X support MoQ right now?
Player Web X includes an implementation of MoQ playback that runs in modern browsers using WebTransport and the WebCodecs API, so teams can experiment with sub-second streaming against compatible MoQ servers like Cloudflare’s public test relay.
4. How mature is MoQ and is it ready for production workflows?
MoQ is still defined through active Internet-Drafts at the IETF, so it should be treated as early stage technology that is suited for trials, proofs of concept, and targeted use cases rather than as a universal replacement for HLS, DASH, or WebRTC in production.
5. Which use cases should I explore first with MoQ and Player Web X?
The most natural starting points are time sensitive and interactive scenarios, such as live sports, esports, live auctions, betting, or fan engagement features where all viewers benefit from seeing the same event within a sub-second window.
6. What are the main technical requirements for MoQ playback in the browser?
MoQ playback currently targets browsers that support QUIC based technologies like WebTransport and low level media APIs such as WebCodecs, while older devices and many living room environments still rely on HLS, DASH, or WebRTC.
7. How does MoQ fit alongside LL-HLS, LL-DASH, and WebRTC?
MoQ is not a replacement for existing protocols yet, it sits alongside them as a new option that aims to deliver WebRTC-like latency with HLS and DASH style scale and an HTTP friendly architecture, giving teams another tool to mix into their low latency strategy over time