Everybody hates Flash. To use it, you need to install a plug-in, which in itself is cumbersome. But as if this weren't enough, it gets out of date fast, has security holes, consumes excessive amount of resources, and doesn't work well on many mobile devices. With this in mind, the folks at Google have long been working to rid YouTube of the now obsolete Adobe plug-in. Unfortunately, which took several years, it finally comes to an end: YouTube recently announced that it will use HTML5 by default. However, this will only be for users of the most modern browsers: Chrome, IE 11, Safari 8, and "beta versions of Firefox".
The transition was more difficult than many believed. Just four years ago, YouTube drew up a long list of problems it had with HTML5. Today they explain how they went about solving each problem and what "parallel" technologies they had to develop to give HTML5 the boost it needed.
MediaSource extensions
Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) streaming is critical to providing a quality experience to viewers, allowing you to quickly and smoothly adjust the resolution and download speed in the face of changing network conditions. ABR has reduced buffering by more than 50 percent globally and by up to 80 percent on the most congested networks. The MediaSource extensions, meanwhile, allow live streaming on consoles like Xbox and PS4, on devices like Chromecast, and on web browsers.
VP9 video codec
HTML5 allows the use of the VP9 (open) video codec -developed by Google- and which serves as an alternative to proprietary codecs h264 y h265. This enables higher quality video playback with an average bandwidth reduction of 35 percent. At the same time, the reduction in the size of the video files allows many more people to have access to videos in HD quality and 4K at 60 FPS; and videos will start 15-80 percent faster. In addition, YouTube already stores hundreds of millions of videos in VP9 format, so their conversion is not necessary.
DRM
In the past, the choice of delivery platform (Flash, Silverlight, etc.) and content protection technology (Access, PlayReady) were closely linked, as content protection is deeply integrated into the delivery platform and even in the file format. Encrypted media extensions separate content protection work from delivery, allowing content providers like YouTube to use a single HTML5 video player across a wide range of platforms. Combined with common encryption, YouTube supports multiple content protection technologies on different platforms with a single set of assets, making playback faster and smoother.
WebRTC
YouTube allows everyone to share their videos with the world, either by uploading pre-recorded videos or by streaming live. WebRTC allows you to record and upload videos to YouTube using the same technology behind Google Hangouts.
Fullscreen
By using the new HTML5 full screen APIs, YouTube is able to provide an immersive full screen experience.
A note on DRM and HTML5
These advancements have benefited not only the YouTube community, but the entire industry. HTML5 has been adopted by other content providers such as Netflix and Vimeo, as well as companies such as Microsoft and Apple, which has been one of the key factors for its success. By providing an open standard platform, HTML5 has also enabled the creation of new types of devices, such as Chromebooks and the Chromecast.
Now, within this set of good news, the incorporation of DRM does not stop bristling the skin. Unfortunately, this is nothing more than the inevitable and expected conclusion of a novel that began in mid-2013 when the incorporation of DRM in HTML5 was accepted, following enormous pressure from the big ones in the industry, such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix. and Vimeo. Then, in May 2014, even Mozilla had to give his arm to twist and support DRM in Firefox. For a group committed to free software and open standards, this was a difficult decision. DRM is used to restrict fair use access to copyrighted material and uses closed source modules, both of which would go against the philosophy of Mozilla and even HTML5: an open standard for the web.
Beyond that, there is no doubt that HTML5, even with the stone in the shoe that DRM inclusion means, is better than Flash. Without a doubt. The default use of HTML5 on YouTube, the largest video portal out there, is great news. Possibly, it can only be comparable to the use of HTML5 by Netflix. Anyway, one of lime and one of sand.
Youtube adopts HTML5 by default. However, this will only be for users of the most modern browsers: Chrome, IE 11, Safari 8, and "beta versions of Firefox"?
That means that each "stable" version of Firefox, ... will NOT have HTML5 on YouTube by default? On Linux Mint, the Flash Player is installed by default, and works perfectly with Firefox on YouTube, I don't see the need install said "plug-in".
HTML5 and Gnash, it's still green!
They said the same with the WebRTC, and now Firefox already supports this technology with total normality. Support for HTML5 videos is partial, because, although Firefox supports VP9 videos, it does not recognize them when playing a Youtube video in HTML5. Hence, even the HTML5 Youtube player is still green for the Gecko rendering engine.
If in doubt this is excellent news. Good article!
Goodbye Flash. Good article!
As for Firefox, it can be said that the HTML5 player is at least better polished and works the same way as in Chrome and Opera Blink. The player may already be running by default thanks to the VP9 codec (on Chromium, which lacks the H.265 / H.264 and MPEG-4 codecs, playback is optimal).
In the latest versions of Firefox the H.264 plugin is already included.
In Iceweasel you need to install GStreamer to make use of the H.264 codec.
Some time ago I remembered that I tried a video with html5 and at that time it was disgusting but now everything is polished and you don't even notice the change.
If xvideos and youporn have adopted it to stream to cell phones, youtube had already been late.
I believe that a XXX video portal, when showing the uncensored version of a pr0n short made with Google Glass, was using an HTML5 player. And Vimeo, how has that material zukulent, He was ahead of Xfideos and others.
I can only watch in 360p and 240p
You must have something wrong because it works for me in all the browsers I have tried.
I can't see 144p 240p 480p 1080p quality videos in HTML5 with firefox only 360p and 720p, does anyone know why that happens?
By the standards supported by the Gecko rendering engine, which uses only those certified by the W3C in the stable version of Firefox. With the Blink rendering engine - which is used by Maxthon, Google Chrome / Chromium, Opera (the current version) and SWare Iron - it supports more standards, but they have not yet been (or are in the process of being) supported by the W3C .
And if that were not enough, this also influences the quality of the bandwidth that one has.
is good news flash is a horror more when they get support in gnu / linux distributions