Flash and the HTML5 tag
There's been a lot of discussion lately about whether or not the HTML5 <video> tag is going to replace Flash Player for video distribution on the web. We've been excited about the HTML5 effort and <video> tag for quite a while now, and most YouTube videos can now be played via our HTML5 player.
Context & Ripple Effects
YouTube had already introduced HTML5-supported video playback in January, while Microsoft’s April HTML5 video coverage showed the standard was becoming a browser-platform issue rather than a single site experiment.
Making most of YouTube’s catalog available through its HTML5 player turns that earlier option into a meaningful distribution path, even as Flash Player remains part of the delivery mix.
First-order effects
- YouTube can serve eligible videos through its HTML5 player, giving viewers and publishers a playback route that does not depend exclusively on Flash Player.
- Flash Player retains a role in YouTube distribution, but its position shifts from sole delivery mechanism to one of multiple playback paths.
Second-order effects
- Browser makers’ HTML5 video implementations become more consequential to YouTube’s viewing experience because a major video service is directing more playback through the standard.
- Flash Player faces greater pressure to demonstrate why publishers and viewers should continue relying on its distinct capabilities when HTML5 playback is available for most YouTube videos.
Third-order effects
- If large video platforms continue expanding HTML5 playback, control over web-video delivery will move further toward browser standards and away from a single proprietary player.
- The transition is likely to be uneven: YouTube’s continued use of Flash shows that standards adoption can broaden before it fully displaces incumbent technology.
The trend: Web video is moving toward standards-based browser playback, with large platforms using their catalogs to accelerate adoption while retaining legacy delivery paths during the transition.