Love It Or Hate It … HTML5 is Here

In the world of Internet acronyms and techno-speak, “HTML” is the most basic of all acronyms. It stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. It is the fundamental code used to make a webpage look the way it looks. As compared to say javascript, for example, which is used to make a webpage do things. HTML5 is just the fifth, and latest, version of the HTML code. You now know more about HTML5 than 90% of business managers.

So, why is HTML5 important?

It is a major advancement in how users will interact with websites and the way a website is actually constructed. HTML5 is smarter, faster, and easier. HTML5 content will be more interactive on the fly; more responsive to user input. It can find your location. Video and audio will play “natively” — that means without plugins. Applications, such as chat and database integration are easier to construct. HTML5 offers some serious innovations for user interaction and engagement.

Great. But why won’t my video play?

Most video on the Internet is delivered through a browser (like Internet Explorer or Firefox) with the use of a Flash plugin. The creators of various browsers, like Microsoft, have chosen to go naked; a browser without plugins. Internet Explorer 10 (Metro), for example, will not be capable of using plugins, hence no Flash.

Instead, Microsoft and other browser developers, have decided to allow the browser to reply on HTML5’s capability to play video and audio without a plugin; natively. That offers some advantages, but it also means no Flash.

It means no Flash video, but it also means no Flash headers, logos, menus, etc. No Flash.

The promise of HTML5 Video was simplicity and a certain openness. Unfortunately that promise seems largely unfulfilled. HTML5 Video requires a variety of solutions such as user-agent detection (the ability to detect a user’s device and/or browser) and multiple video encodings targeted at various device operating systems.

Yes, lots of great opportunities but also some complexity. Love it or hate it; HTML5 is here and it will have a dramatic impact on the Internet.

You can read more about the transition to HTML5 and what it means for your business.

Our iSpeakVideo HTML5 Video Report.

http://www.ispeakvideo.com/html5-video-report.html