Enhancing Video Experiences with HTML5

The demand for multimedia content delivered on a multiple screens continues to intensify, especially as consumers are increasingly mobile. That demand has carried over into the commercial sector, one of the characteristics that make the write once play anywhere Web standard HTML5 so desirable. HTML5, in fact, is poised to enable a completely new approach to multimedia content delivery, as long as certain complexities can be overcome. 

A recent Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert) TechZine article, What You Should Know About Video and HTML5 examines some of the challenges that exist within the early stages of HTML5 development, including certain video delivery and advertising issues that have been left unresolved. To drive revenue, service providers must focus on developing solutions that address these challenges and do so based on the multimedia architectures already in place for applications and service delivery. 

Better looking web pages, ease-of-use, optimal performance and play everywhere

Thanks to the work of technology leaders like Alcatel-Lucent, HTML5 features have already been incorporated into a number of leading browsers, including Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera. In fact, indicative of its rapid adoption is the estimate by ABI Research (News - Alert) that the number of mobile devices with HTML5 capabilities is expected to surpass 2.1 billion by 2016.

Amongst the several advantages to using HTML5 is its enhancement of IP video as it is easily embedded on a Web page. In addition, Web pages will look better regardless of device and will also be easier to load and play.

HTML5 is allowing service providers to deliver a broader range of features to tablets and smartphones, and enriching user interfaces so that more attractive elements can be added. Plus, advanced API definition allows for further enrichment of the Web page capabilities through access to shared content. It also helps that HTML5 applications are essentially websites that are easily viewed in a browser.

As Alcatel-Lucent highlights, HTML5 also contributes to what is being called “the new conversation experience” — an exponential increase in the ability to engage and delight customers — as it enables the simultaneous exchange of information through multiple channels all on the same device. At the same time, it also addresses encoding issues to enable video to play better. In fact, users will be able to select a royalty-free video codec that satisfies even the most complex of needs. 

Finally, Web applications will meet performance expectations, regardless of the device. Given the constantly increasing demand for a variety of application access, this capability delivers considerable value in the new conversation experience. Perhaps most importantly, as Alcatel-Lucent points out, HTML5 enables all of these perks without the requirement of additional software, devices or plug-ins that previously had to be in place for optimal operation.

Edited by Peter Bernstein