As I mentioned, the WHATWG and W3C can publish as many standards as they want, but in order for any to actually matter, browsers have to support them—and by browsers, I mean all major browsers, from nimble, rapidly-developed apps like Opera and Chrome to Internet Explorer, which, by the way, is still globally the most popular dashboard to the internet. Take the <VIDEO> tag as an example: Safari and Chrome do support it, both the HTML code and the native rendering of a couple of associated video formats. Firefox supports the tag, but doesn't support decoding of the key video format currently used by YouTube and Vimeo. Internet Explorer doesn't support it at all without a plugin, and isn't the whole point of HTML5 to get rid of plugins?
First let's talk about DRM, a sore subject, but something you can't not talk about. Flash video supports it. HTML5 video doesn't, as it stands. Could you imagine a Hulu on which every video is a right-click away from saving to your computer? A Netflix where you keep what you stream? I mean, sure, you can imagine this, but there's not enough Tums in Los Angeles for Hollywood execs to stomach that discussion. No DRM, no movies or TV shows. Simple as that. And if the fight over a basic HTML5 video standard is fraught, just imagine how tough it'd be to get Mozilla, Apple, Google, Opera and Microsoft to agree on DRM.
YouTube's HTML5 test is just that, a test. There's no convincing evidence of idealistic shift in the works. YouTube's future hinges on the ability to integrate ads into their videos, to sell access to DRM'd content, and to reach the largest audience possible. Until HTML5 video can pull this off, Google and YouTube are going to keep on doing what they've been doing—using Flash.
Lastly, Adobe has interests in this discussion too, and is working frantically to push Flash to virtually all mobile smartphone platforms that don't already have it. Meanwhile HTML video tag support on smartphones is barely the discussion phases—it's plagued with as many problems, if not more, than desktop HTML 5 video.
As for mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad, for whom Flash seems eternally out of reach, video delivery will move increasingly toward apps, which content companies can tightly control, and not toward HTML5 video, which—all other problems aside—they really can't.
An internet where native web languages have killed all plugins, including Flash, is just too far away to talk about coherently.
"We are now on the verge of delivering Flash Player 10.1 for smartphones with all but one of the top manufacturers," Lynch said, specifically mentioning the Nexus One as one such device and adding that the software also works on tablets, Netbooks, and Net-enabled TVs. "Flash in the browser provides a competitive advantage to these devices because it will enable their customers to browse the whole Web...We are ready to enable Flash in the browser on these devices if and when Apple chooses to allow that for its users, but to date we have not had the required cooperation from Apple to make this happen."
True, but IE9 is adding HTML5, which should close the issue.Browsers have to support it
As you pointed out, Hulu and Netflix could (and are) release iPhone apps.Lack of DRM Protection
I think Adobe is approaching this all wrong. Adobe should work with Apple to release an app similar to YouTube, where clicking on a Flash content (from Safari) would launch a Flash app. Perhaps Adobe did suggest this very solution, and if so, it should write about it in its blog to get people's support.Adobe is pushing for improvements on the Desktop and Mobile platforms
I think Adobe is approaching this all wrong. Adobe should work with Apple to release an app similar to YouTube, where clicking on a Flash content (from Safari) would launch a Flash app. Perhaps Adobe did suggest this very solution, and if so, it should write about it in its blog to get people's support.
True, but IE9 is adding HTML5, which should close the issue.
I am using the html5 version of the youtube beta and I cannot right click and save the videos.
I am using the html5 version of the youtube beta and I cannot right click and save the videos.
The biggest reason why I don't see HTML 5 replacing Flash for at least a few years is development software. Sure some of us are geeks that like to write code all day long just to animate a few objects scrolling across the screen but a lot of Flash designers do not want to do that.
As far as I know there is no multimedia development tool in the works to support HTML 5. Designers need a visual tool with keyframes and motion paths. Remember Flash started out as more of a animation tool then a programming tool.
I'm sure we will see a few great HTML 5 sites pop up here and there but do not expect a flood to happen overnight. I see the switch taking at least 2 to 3 years and that is assuming anybody even makes decent HTML 5 development software. Ironically the first company that will is going to be Adobe who may create a new version of Flash that can publish a HTML 5 based webpage with animation. They are already working on that with their FXG format.
At the end of the day it is not going to matter what a bunch of open source happy people want. If the designer community is used to a certain level of productivity tool then they will not switch until there is one. Those of you who do not work in the industry can say what you want about Flash but really who is going to make all this great new HTML 5 content? Are people with no design training or skill set going to be making everything? If that is the case then we really are doomed.
Flash has been around for 12 years when there were no options at all for visual content on the internet. Hate it if you will but those are 12 years where the internet became more of a marketing tool that really helped boost the economy. I hate some of the things Adobe does but I find it odd that people hate them so much after they at least gave us an option to create this sort of content. Where was the alternative for the last 12 years? Where was HTML 5 five years ago? Like it or not the internet is a huge marketing tool and it will continue to be so no matter what technology we have to create animated content to sell products.
I don't know what to believe. I guess Apple can just bend over, give us flash and see what happens. For all we know, it may not take a battery hit. It may not make everything slow.
BUT WHAT IF!!!! What if...........................it did.
Nice. MPEG just announced it will make H.264 royalty free from now til end of 2016, if used for displaying free contents, which includes web browsers.
Check out the coding on the website see if you can steal the video.