Playback
From Open Video Alliance
Contents |
[edit] Browser support
 Firefox |  Safari |  Internet Explorer |  Chrome |  Opera |  Second Life | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theora (royalty-free) | Works! (versions 3.5+) | Get XiphQT Mac Windows | Get ChromeFrame | Not reliable | Works! (versions 10.5+) | Works in 32bit Linux |
| H.264 (not preferred) | Get VLC or Quicktime | Works! (versions 4.0+) | Get ChromeFrame | Works! (versions 3.0+) | Get VLC or Quicktime | Works! |
[edit] Full–screen playback
Full screen support varies by browser. In Firefox 3.6, right click on the video and select "View Full Screen"
[edit] Background
[edit] The short story
HTML5 is a new, open web standard that lets you play videos directly in your browser. The two most popular video formats for HTML5 are Theora (.ogg files) and H.264 (.mp4 files). Some browsers support only Theora, some only H.264, and some support both. Check out the matrix above.
[edit] Some more details
Everyone is familiar with viewing and embedding videos on the web through sites like YouTube. Until now, virtually all of that video plays with the help of a third-party plugin like Quicktime, RealPlayer, or Flash. Enter HTML5: For the first time, there is a defined standard to play video directly from the browser without the need for an external plugin. That means videos will load faster and using open web standards. Plus, it opens the floodgates for tons of cool video applications that weren't possible before. However, you'll need an up-to-date browser.
HTML5 can deliver any video format, but Theora is the preferred format because it's royalty-free. That means that content distributors don't have to pay a dime to use the codec technology. Starting in 2011, it will cost money to use the industry-standard H.264 codec. This is hugely problematic for the expansion of video on the web—imagine if you had to pay for embedding images on your web site!
Theora video is powering video on Wikipedia and lots of other cool sites. For more, check out http://openvideoalliance.org.
