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How to Build an HTML5 Video Player

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HTML5 has potential. That was the message of Steve Heffernan's introduction to the How To: Building an HTML5 Video Player demonstration at Streaming Media East, and it was likely the funniest introduction from the entire conference.

Heffernan, creator of the VideoJS player, spoke of a day coming soon when HTML5 video will be dominant. "Eventually we do see it becoming the standard way to play back video in the browser," he said.

"Right now, it's got some issues."

But that doesn't mean you should put off learning how to use it.

"As the majority of our users support HTML5, as there are less bugs to work out, it'll become the standardized way to playback video. If you think about the next generation of developers, they're not going to want to learn Flash to just put a video on the page. They're going to want to use the technology that they're used to using, which is HTML5 and JavaScript," said Heffernan.

Offering some statistics, Heffernan said that today 53 percent of users can view HTML5 video, up from 38 percent last year. The adoption of Internet Explorer 9 will grow that number dramatically.

To view the rest of Heffernan's talk, including the reasons to use HTML5 video (hint: Apple iOS support is the big one) and the formats involved, and to see his co-presenter Jeroen Wijering (creator of the JW Player) dive into the code, view the video below. You can also download the presentation materials here.

How To: Building an HTML5 Video Player

This live coding session will demonstrate how to develop from scratch your own interface for HTML5 video, including embedding a video using HTML5, building custom controls using the JavaScript API, fallback strategies for older browsers and devices, and fixing known playback bugs on the iPhone and Android. By the end of the session you should feel comfortable adding HTML5 video to your own site.

Speaker: Steve Heffernan, Creator, VideoJS
Speaker: Jeroen Wijering, Chief Digital Architect, LongTail Video

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