"Normal YouTube style videos" are a historical target. The quality of video the end user is able to produce is progressing at a startling rate. Go to and see what even amateurs are doing, it's not just "My face in a small window with a bookcase in the background" anymore.<p>In general, I've been disappointed with theora output for very high def stuff.<p>What's more, the video standard affects more than just what software component you load. Vendors like Apple have devices which must support video playback in hardware. Without a very good solution there, theora is basically a non-starter.  And people who complain that Apple <i>should</i> support Theora because it is free need to consider that, moving forward, mobile playback is extremely important.