YouTube, Vimeo Ditching Flash for HTML5

YouTube and Vimeo is kicking Adobe's Flash to the curb in favor of the sharp new HTML5.

Both YouTube and Vimeo have announced that they are launching HTML5-based players on their video streaming sites, thus booting out the long-standing champ of multimedia delivery, Adobe Flash. With recent security issues plaguing Adobe products, it's no surprise that media giants such as YouTube are jumping ship. What makes HTML5 special is that the new Web standard doesn't require Adobe's software to stream content to viewers.

On Wednesday, YouTube launched this portal (TestTube) for HTML5 video, however the drawback is that the new technology is only supported in Google Chrome, Apple's Safari Internet browser, and Internet Explorer with Google's Chrome frame installed. Mozilla's Firefox and Opera currently do not work with YouTube's HTML5-based video player.

Vimeo, on the other hand, isn't launching a separate portal: the service will place an HTML5-related link below each video so that consumers have a choice. Like YouTube's portal, Vimeo's HTML5 vidoes will work with Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer with Chrome frame installed--Firefox and Opera will not display the special HTML5 links.

Outside security issues, both companies can now offer videos to devices that do not support Adobe Flash. According to CNET, Vimeo reports that 90-percent of its videos will work in HTML5; YouTube did not provide numbers. However, YouTube videos viewed in HTML5 will supposedly be free of ads and user-created information.

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There are 65 Comments.

Top Comments

34

lifelesspoet , January 22, 2010 10:21 AM

In others news, execs at Adobe and involuntarily spit their morning coffee all over their screens.
10

ta152h , January 22, 2010 10:42 AM

Hmmmm, the only two browsers I use are Opera and, if I have to, Firefox. I can understand them leaving out Opera, with roughly 2% market share, but Firefox? While including Safari? Seems strange to me.
20

Supertrek32 , January 22, 2010 10:50 AM

'bout time we kicked the outdated software to the curb. Adobe's decided it's not going to update it, and after years of complaining still hasn't even managed to get a 64 bit version out. If a company doesn't listen to its customers, it's doomed to be replaced.
19

mianmian , January 22, 2010 10:52 AM

Youtube better support Firefox 3.6 at least. Firefox is no minority any more.
14

JamesSneed , January 22, 2010 11:09 AM

Firefox 3.6 came out today and it supports HTML5. Havent tried it yet but im guessing it works. Anyone give it a try yet?
24

cdillon , January 22, 2010 11:12 AM

The odd choice in browser support is due to each browser's choice in which HTML5 video type they wanted to support. You have a choice between Vorbis and H.264 for HTML5 video. Chrome and Safari support H.264. Firefox and Opera support Vorbis. There's nothing stopping anybody from supporting BOTH formats at the same time, on either side, it's mostly a matter of Firefox and Opera not wanting to pay the licensing fees required for an H.264 decoder, and Google and Apple don't trust that Vorbis isn't subject to submarine patents which could bite them in the ass in the future (which I think is ridiculous, because H.264 could potentially have the same problem). So for the moment there is a rift in HTML5 video, but at least it's only a small rift which I think will get worked out sooner rather than later.
14

haze4peace , January 22, 2010 12:31 PM

cdillonThe odd choice in browser support is due to each browser's choice in which HTML5 video type they wanted to support. You have a choice between Vorbis and H.264 for HTML5 video. Chrome and Safari support H.264. Firefox and Opera support Vorbis. There's nothing stopping anybody from supporting BOTH formats at the same time, on either side, it's mostly a matter of Firefox and Opera not wanting to pay the licensing fees required for an H.264 decoder, and Google and Apple don't trust that Vorbis isn't subject to submarine patents which could bite them in the ass in the future (which I think is ridiculous, because H.264 could potentially have the same problem). So for the moment there is a rift in HTML5 video, but at least it's only a small rift which I think will get worked out sooner rather than later.

This is the correct post about firefox and html5

Other Comments

34

lifelesspoet , January 22, 2010 10:21 AM

In others news, execs at Adobe and involuntarily spit their morning coffee all over their screens.
24

cdillon , January 22, 2010 11:12 AM

The odd choice in browser support is due to each browser's choice in which HTML5 video type they wanted to support. You have a choice between Vorbis and H.264 for HTML5 video. Chrome and Safari support H.264. Firefox and Opera support Vorbis. There's nothing stopping anybody from supporting BOTH formats at the same time, on either side, it's mostly a matter of Firefox and Opera not wanting to pay the licensing fees required for an H.264 decoder, and Google and Apple don't trust that Vorbis isn't subject to submarine patents which could bite them in the ass in the future (which I think is ridiculous, because H.264 could potentially have the same problem). So for the moment there is a rift in HTML5 video, but at least it's only a small rift which I think will get worked out sooner rather than later.
20

Supertrek32 , January 22, 2010 10:50 AM

'bout time we kicked the outdated software to the curb. Adobe's decided it's not going to update it, and after years of complaining still hasn't even managed to get a 64 bit version out. If a company doesn't listen to its customers, it's doomed to be replaced.

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YouTube, Vimeo Ditching Flash for HTML5

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