Microsoft fires back at critics of its HTML5 strategy
Apple and Microsoft are at it again. This time, though, the two archrivals find themselves on the same side (more or less) of a tremendously contentious issue: Which video format will be adopted as the standard for the Internet over the next five (or more) years?
Context & Ripple Effects
Microsoft's defense follows its April 2010 outline of HTML5 video in IE9 and its stated engagement with the W3C process. Apple’s iPhone and iPad do not support Flash, making the disputed choice of web-video formats consequential for publishers seeking reach across major browser and device ecosystems.
First-order effects
- Microsoft’s IE9 video approach becomes a test of whether its HTML5 commitments translate into a format strategy that web-video publishers can adopt alongside Apple’s platform requirements.
Second-order effects
- The Apple–Microsoft alignment behind HTML5 does not settle the format question; browser vendors and content publishers face greater pressure to prioritize interoperable video delivery over plug-in-dependent distribution.
Third-order effects
- If HTML5 implementations fragment around competing video formats, the W3C process becomes more important as the venue for determining whether an open web standard delivers practical cross-browser compatibility.
The trend: Web-video competition is shifting from control of plug-ins toward control over the browser implementations and formats that define interoperability.