Web, 5.0...?

Submitted by Robert on Sat, 05/15/2010 - 08:15

HTML5.
An acronym with the potential power to change the internet. Its hard to argue the popularity of Flash on the web but with HTML5 we can go from this:


<object width="300" height="300" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=7,0,19,0">
<param name="salign" value="lt">
<param name="quality" value="high">
<param name="scale" value="noscale">
<param name="movie" value="play.swf">
<embed width="300" height="300" flashvars="&name=play.swf&autoPlay=true" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="LT" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="play.swf" wmode="transparent">
</embed>
</object>

to this:


<video id="one">
<source src="play.mp4" />
<source src="play.ogv" />
</video>

The simple example is exaggerated a little to prove the point but notice that instead of relying on a Flash encoded video as a browser plugin, HTML5 uses codecs already present on your computer to play the video. Until recently, Adobe has enjoyed deep market penetration with little competition as most browsers have a flash plugin installed by default since it was the best option to play video on the web for many years. With devices such as the iPhone and iPad which, like it or not, have dramatically influenced web content, HTML5 will likely have enormous market growth in the next few years. If you don't think these devices have already influenced web content, note that Scribd have recently announced that they are switching their content presentation from Flash to HTML5. CBS have also promised to deliver all of its online video content through HTML5 along with the existing Flash driven content. It might have taken longer if the iPad wasn't around, but its leading the charge to HTML5 due to Apple's refusal to allow Flash on the device. Adobe isn't sitting back and letting HTML5 pass them by; they plan to make the "best tools" for HTML5 and have since released a free extension pack for Dreamweaver.