HTML5 Video and what are the advantages of using it?

Browser support for HTML5 video is evolving at a rapid pace. While Flash video is non searchable and not all users have a fast and updated browser, HTML5 video is far more advanced. It is highly searchable, it renders properly on mobile devices and modern browsers, and is easy to integrate and style. With a […]

By Beth Shero

Using HTML5 for your video to be viewable on mobile devices is a no brainer. More and more people are using mobile devices to view video and Flash is not well supported by all mobile devices. If you have a site that uses a lot of video this is something you should be aware of because if you do not start to us HTML5 people may leave your site behind or start demanding your website be compliant with their mobile device.

HTML5 video can be integrated into a website by using less code. It allows video embedding right into the browser with multiple tags that give more control over the video and player. You can use loop, autoplay, poster, controls and even preload, and there is no need to built a custom player as before. Instead of building custom controls HTML5 video has them built-in so adding video is quicker than ever.

Here is a comparision of the Old Flash embed code vs. the new HTML5 code. As you can see the new HTML5 video embed is less code and makes it easier to add to your website.

Flash video embed code
Flash video embed code
HTML5 video embed code
HTML5 video embed code
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Below are some of the built in tags HTML5 offers for advanced functionality:

  • Loop – lets the video continuously play
  • Autoplay – the video will play once the page is opened
  • Poster – indicates the images that will be shown when a video is loading
  • Controls – standard play, pause, sound controls
  • Preload – can be used to download the video in the background even if the video hasn’t started to play.

HTML5 video can use CSS and CSS3 to style the video tag. You can change the border, opacity, reflections, gradients, transitions, transformations and even animations.

The bottom line is that HTML5 makes adding video super-fast and without having to build a video player. This saves time for the developer and offers the client a superior and more affordable solution.

If you want to get started today and you have some knowledge of HTML you can start using HTML5 on your website to embed video. HTML5 is being used all over the web. For additional information on how to get started visit: HTML5 Rocks

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