What does "VP" in VP8 and VP9 stand for?

[Knocks]

The internet doesn't know.

[filler56789]

Not a real answer to your question, but......

<QUOTE>
Perhaps the ‘P’ in VP stands for ‘Prototype’.
</QUOTE>

source: https://codecs.multimedia.cx/2014/09/on-quack-vpx/

[StainlessS]

Or perhaps it stands for 'Protocol'. [or Pomegranate]"
There is a whole section of words beginning with the letter 'P' in any dictionary, maybe take a look and pick out your favourite (same for 'V').

Or something more concrete, "VP6" is "Virus Protein 6".
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468550X1730093X

Does it really matter what it stands for ?
Acronyms often do not really mean anything at all.
I remember some acronym, "WEAPON", which stood for something like
"Web Enabled Application Programming On the Net", truth is they pick a nice word, and then manufacture a meaning to fit the acronym.

EDIT: google, "Web Enabled Application Programming On the Net" link to PDF:- https://www.google.co.uk/search?source=hp&ei=mg1HXau_LJC1U_uCgoAG&q=%22Web+Enabled+Application+Programming+On+the+Net%22&oq=%22Web+Enabled+Application+Programming+On+the+Net%22&gs_l=psy-ab.3..33i22i29i30.1249.1249..1470...0.0..0.190.190.0j1......0....2j1..gws-wiz.....0.1h7aPngpyLc&ved=0ahUKEwir9Nj61unjAhWQ2hQKHXuBAGAQ4dUDCAc&uact=5

[Cary Knoop]

I asked Mike Melanson, who has been rather involved with VP related codecs, to say the least.

His theory is that it stands for Video Predictor.

He pointed me to his article here with his theory:
https://multimedia.cx/eggs/vp7-on2-just-wont-quit/

[Cary Knoop]

Does it really matter what it stands for ?

It matters only to people who are seriously interested in it.

[filler56789]

I asked Mike Melanson, who has been rather involved with VP related codecs, to say the least.

His theory is that it stands for Video Predictor.

He pointed me to his article here with his theory:
https://multimedia.cx/eggs/vp7-on2-just-wont-quit/

Thanks for that, best bet thus far.