HTML5 coding. Is it worth it?

The only problem with flash is that iPhones can't read it. Instead of getting rid of flash though, you do have the option of using a php script to redirect mobile users to a .mobi site. Keep in mind that HTML 5 is rapidly becoming the standard for smartphones. More applications are being planned for this standardized platform than all of the app stores combined.

No absolutely not. That is the worst mistake you could make.

Html5 video support is in flux right now... and html5 will be in flux for the next decade.

flashplayer has as high as 98% market penetration including support on android devices.

The best approach you can take right now is to sense for apple i devices and either redirect them with a redirect script to a page that displays compatible content or use a solution such as my Transparent player with html5 video fallback scripting that senses them automatically and swaps out the flash for an apple compatible html5 version.

In other words flash should be the default and html5 should only be displayed when an apple i device is detected or a browser without flashplayer support is detected.

The problem with using html5 video by default is that there is no standard established yet and browsers do not all support the same codecs. Google just announced they will no longer support h.264 (mp4) in html5 and will instead be focusing on open codecs such as their webM (vp8) codec that they are pushing to make the standard. Firefox and opera refuse to support h.264 mp4 as well instead opting for OGG video format but will likely also adopt support for webM. Microsoft does not support html5 video in their current version of IE but will support it in 9+ and who knows what codecs they will ultimately decide on while Apple appears to be the lone holdout supporting h.264 mp4 video which google will pretty much put a death blow to if everyone follows them using webM (vp8) as the new standard. Adobe has also announced that flashplayer will support WebM.

So what does all that mean? That means that Flashplayer is still what everyone should be using for standard browsers and redirect or html5 video fallback scripts should only be used for Apple mobile devices. If you want to even attempt to use them for other browsers then you need a complex script that will sense the browser type and serve video that is compatible with that browser. Since all browsers are compatible with flashplayer and since flashplayer still has as high as 98% market penetration and is used to deliver 75% of all rich media on the web then you should stick with flashplayer for everthing except the apple devices.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about HTML 5. It's not going to be one big roll out, it will be implemented in piecemeal fashion. One of the goals of HTML 5 is to simplify things. For example, this is the HTML 5 doctype:

Quite different than we're used to, wouldn't you say?

All the elements from HTML 4 are included in HTML 5, so you can actually start using that now if you want, even on your old pages if they don't contain any deprecated elements. Elements that were deprecated in HTML 4 are not supported in HTML 5. These include:

Josh gave good advice as far as your immediate concern goes. I just wanted to point out that HTML 5 is not going to be one big unit like we're used to, it's a gradual roll out over time.

HTML5 was great, but the problem is now movies. Chrome ripped out its video support for the new chrome web browser and left us crying. Read up on Google drops H.264 support in Chrome and find out if and when they are going to support video and under what codec because the story keeps changing for us. Frankly, I would not use HTML5 right now. It is a mess.

I would just do a redirect so if anyone comes looking it will redirect them to a separate mobile site.

A simple few pages explaining who you are and what you do. Thats all most mobile users want.

Leave what have there.

There seems to be some misconception about what HTML5 *is* here. Long before I got into IM, I was a web developer, so let me shed some light on it.

After HTML 4.01 was released, there was a working established for something new - XHTML. XHTML 1 came out, then 1.1, then 2.0 - and fizzled. Browsers did not support the proper encoding format, and continued to read it as HTML.

HTML5 is a new standard that builds on HTML 4.01, and the best parts of XHTML. It does not require that the documents be served as XML, which has allowed it to be adopted faster.

I coded everything as HTML 4.01 Strict for years. A few months ago, I began exclusively using HTML5, and have had no issues with it.

Now, that said - HTML5's video support is still in flux. I would recommend embedding video using HTML5's native support, then using Javascript to sniff for Flash support, and if present, load a Flash video instead.

The problem with this in high tech fields is that right "time" never really comes because there's always something better coming down the track.

The problem with waiting is that business suffers. Use what works now - your bank manager will thank you even if the technogeeks don't.

Cheers,

Neil

Thanks all for the responses. Seems the consensus is to stick with flash, and use a redirect to html5 for mobile devices for the time being anyway. Sounds good to me!

Thanks

I have not bothered to learn all the functions HTML5 has to offer yet, but I do plan on implementing it into some of my sites in the following year once more browsers can support it.

You should ALWAYS be 2-3 generations, or about 3+ years, whichever is later, BEHIND on websites! If you AREN'T, more and more people are likely to have problems with your site and SOMETIMES, upgrades of client software are NOT possible! I have seen users have compatibility problems with communication software, and update features, after upgrading from IE V6! Even as recently as a couple weeks ago.

John Henderson,

ANSI used to be pretty good, but in the 90s, they proposed changes for DIBOL that swould have OBLITERATED the language and hurt a LOT of businesses. Who knows, maybe they DID. I mean the company that created it is DEAD, and the language is probably all but dead. But the IDEA that they would remove standard parts, and adopt proprietary extensions is RIDICULOUS.

Steve

I have installed a live example of our flash + html5 video sensing alternation script in action on the video on our site here:

Optimize Your Video 2.0: Increase Response, Boost Consumption, Make Video Sell More

Those of you who have an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch will see the html5 version when visiting that site... those who visit it with a Mac or PC based browser will see the normal version.

In other words that site will demonstrate 100% compatibility for desktop computer browsers and apple mobile devices.

Flash is not very good for the search engines and either is to much html.
HHTML 5 looks interesting however i don't see any wordpress themes in html as of toadys date
I know there's non wordpress html 5 themes that look great but are a bit pricey