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HTML video

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The HTML5 video tag is a markup language tag introduced in HTML5 draft specification, adding support for embedding video in a HTML page.

At the time that HTML5 was released, the Adobe Flash Player was widely used to embed video on web sites such as Youtube, since the majority of web browsers had Adobe's Flash Player installed (with notable exceptions such as the browser on the iPhone). HTML5 video is intended by its creators to become the new normal way to show video online, but has been hampered by lack of agreement as to which video formats should be supported in the video tag. Internet Explorer also does not yet support HTML5 video.

Example

The following HTML5 code fragment will embed the Theora video in a web page. 

<video src="movie.ogv" controls="controls">
your browser does not support the video tag
</video>

Supported video codecs

The current HTML5 draft specification does not specify which video codec(s) browsers should support in the video tag. User agents are free to support any video codecs they feel are appropriate.

Default video codec debate

Main article: Use of Ogg formats in HTML5

It is desirable to specify at least one video codec which all user agents (browsers) should support. The ideal format should:

  • Have good compression, good image quality, and low decode processor use.
  • Not be subject to any patents.
  • In addition to software decoders, a hardware video decoder should exist for the codec, as many embedded processors do not have the performance to decode video.

H.264/MPEG-4 AVC is widely used, and has good speed, compression, hardware decoder, and video quality, but is covered by patents. There is however a well-established way to license the H.264 patents.

The free and open video codec Ogg Theora is not covered by any known patents, WHATWG has cited concerns over the Ogg formats being vulnerable to unknown patents.[1]. Apple Computer have also opposed the inclusion of Ogg formats in the HTML standard on the grounds that H.264 performs better and is already more widely supported, citing patents and the lack of precedents of "Placing requirements on format support", even at the "SHOULD" level, in HTML specifications.[2]

Initially Ogg Theora was the recommended standard video codec in HTML5, because it was not affected by any known patents. But on December 10, 2007, the HTML5 specification was updated[3], replacing the reference to concrete formats:

User agents should support Ogg Theora video and Ogg Vorbis audio, as well as the Ogg container format.

with a placeholder:[4]

It would be helpful for interoperability if all browsers could support the same codecs. However, there are no known codecs that satisfy all the current players: we need a codec that is known to not require per-unit or per-distributor licensing, that is compatible with the open source development model, that is of sufficient quality as to be usable, and that is not an additional submarine patent risk for large companies. This is an ongoing issue and this section will be updated once more information is available.[5]

The removal of the Ogg formats from the specification has been criticized by some Web developers.[6][7][8] A follow-up discussion also occurred on the W3C questions and answers blog.[9]

Browser support

Video tag codec support in different browsers
Browser\Video codec Theora H.264/MPEG-4 AVC others
Internet Explorer No No none
Firefox[10] 3.5 No none(?)
Google Chrome[11][12] 3.0 3.0 none(?)
Safari[13] No 3.1 ?
Opera[14] From version 10.50 From version 10.50, if GStreamer is installed and supports H.264 From version 10.50, those supported by GStreamer


Users

HTML5 video is not widely used compared to Flash Player videos, as of February 2010.

Youtube has a HTML5 video demonstration, but only supporting H.264 and not Theora[15].

See also

References

  1. ^ Hickson, Ian (11 December). "Re: [whatwg] Removal of Ogg is *preposterous*". whatwg mailing list (Mailing list). Retrieved 2008-02-25. {{cite mailing list}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |mailinglist= ignored (|mailing-list= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Stachowiak, Maciej (21 March 2007). "[whatwg] Codecs (was Re: Apple Proposal for Timed Media Elements)". whatwg mailing list (Mailing list). Retrieved 2008-02-25. {{cite mailing list}}: Unknown parameter |mailinglist= ignored (|mailing-list= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Hickson, Ian (10 December 2007). "[whatwg] Video codec requirements changed". whatwg mailing list (Mailing list). Retrieved 2008-02-25. {{cite mailing list}}: Unknown parameter |mailinglist= ignored (|mailing-list= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "(X)HTML5 Tracking". HTML5.org. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  5. ^ "[whatwg] Removal of Ogg is *preposterous*". WHATWG (Mailing list). Lists.whatwg.org. 11 December. Retrieved 2009-08-25. {{cite mailing list}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |mailinglist= ignored (|mailing-list= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "The Attack Against Ogg Theora or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Proprietary Web". Metavid. 11 December 2007. Archived from the original on 23 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  7. ^ "rudd-o.com". rudd-o.com. 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  8. ^ "Abbadingo » Blog » Removal of Ogg Vorbis and Theora from HTML 5: an outrageous disaster". Delcorp.org. 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  9. ^ Connolly, Dan (December 18, 2007). "When will HTML 5 support <video>? Sooner if you help". W3C. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  10. ^ Kaiser, Robert (2009-10-28), SeaMonkey 2.0 - What's New in SeaMonkey 2.0, seamonkey-project.org, retrieved 2010-02-06
  11. ^ Laforge, Anthony (Sep 15, 2009). "Google Chrome after a year: Sporting a new stable release". Google. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  12. ^ Fette, Ian (May 29, 2009). "whatwg MPEG-1 subset proposal for HTML5 video codec". WHATWG. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  13. ^ "Apple Releases Safari 3.1". 2008-03-18. Retrieved 2010-02.7. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. ^ Jägenstedt, Philip (2009-12-31). "(re-)Introducing <video> - Official blog for Core developers at Opera". Opera. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  15. ^ "YouTube HTML5 Video Player". Retrieved 2010-01-21.
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