HTML5 & Video: No Plugin? No Problem.
by Anthony May
Multimedia Designer/Digital Video Specialist
Video on the web has come a long way in the last decade. We've moved swiftly from the era of tiny, pixelated clips to full-length films being streamed in high definition.
But if you've watched web video with any regularity, you've probably come across a error message telling you that you're missing a "plugin" or prompting you to update your Flash player. And while these extra bits of software - including Flash, Silverlight and Quicktime - have been crucial in the growth of web video, they've also inadvertently added a barrier to widespread video playback compatibility.
HTML5 is looking to break down that barrier.
The next version of HTML (the code language used to build web pages) will allow audio and video elements to be placed directly on sites, without any additional software required for playback. This should make watching videos on the web as hassle-free as viewing images.
While HTML5 is still in development, a handful of sites - including YouTube - have started experimenting with its video capabilities. You can check out the HTML5 version of YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/html5. One of the following HTML5-supporting browsers is required:
• Google Chrome
• Apple Safari (4.0+)
• Internet Explorer with Chrome Frame
Here's another sample of HTML5 video (if you are using one of the browsers listed above): http://jilion.com/sublime/video.
From a user standpoint, the widespread adoption of HTML5 will provide a better viewing experience: faster loading times, higher-quality videos and smoother playback.
For site publishers and advertisers, implementing HTML5-based video will make integrating rich media elements into their sites easier. Video can be placed seamlessly into traditional web content and controlled with JavaScript and CSS, allowing video player interfaces to be more consistent with the rest of the website.
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Anthony May is a Multimedia Designer and Digital Video Specialist at Idea Bank Marketing in Hastings, NE. He has been authoring video for the web since 2004. |
