YouTube experiments with HTML5 video
updated 10:40 am EST, Thu January 21, 2010
YouTube tries bypassing Flash
YouTube this morning branched out beyond just movie rentals to begin an HTML5 beta. The opt-in test avoids Flash entirely and uses the new web standard's built-in video plugin to stream H.264 video directly to the browser. Making the move simplifies video viewing and theoretically allows devices without Flash to see YouTube, or those without Flash hardware acceleration to get improved performance.
For now, ad-based videos and the full-screen mode won't work. It's also not said whether upcoming rentals will work properly.
The feature currently requires a browser that can both recognize HTML5 and H.264 at the same time, which includes both Google's own Chrome browser as well as Safari; Firefox isn't yet supported, but Internet Explorer with the Chrome Frame plugin will recognize the format. Although the browsers of both Android 2.0 and the iPhone support HTML5, they can't currently use the new implementation. YouTube has yet to give a timeframe for when it expects the beta to end.
Despite this exclusion of mobile devices, the phone space is the most likely to benefit from the switch if and when developers re-configure the browser to recognize HTML5 videos. With Flash 10 still absent on most smartphones, the devices are usually forced to use dedicated viewing clients. Flash also produces more of a performance hit than pure video and can still create strain for modern smartphones.
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Joined: Aug 2000
excellent
I'm pretty giddy about the prospects of a standard that brings video (and other features) to the web without relying on anybody's proprietary software to work.
I have nothing against Flash or other media players/plugins, and it seems any player can incorporate the open standard. I could see Flash as supportive of HTML5 w/H.264 and still provide all the nice services they currently do.
It will be nice to be able to use Flash, Silverlight, QuickTime, Real, etc., etc., if one wants to, rather than it being required to view a particular web site. Hopefully developers will catch on quickly... not holding my breath on that one though... we have corporate web pages that still won't work in anything but IE6... that's what, so 10 years ago?