Wider adoption of the HTML5 standard for media players is a good thing, if for no other reason than, it means Flash will be killed off faster. That’s why it’s good news when larger, established platforms begin to adopt HTML5. That’s what happened when Livestream recently announced the rollout of its new HTML5 player:
Livestream’s HTML5 player is now available to Chrome users on Livestream.com as well as in the live player embed and video-on-demand.
HTML5 has become the industry standard in video viewing. More web browsers are eliminating the need for plugins and add-ons as HTML5 players have greater flexibility than their Flash counterparts.
Now Livestream producers and viewers alike will enjoy more resilient playback on Livestream.com and Livestream’s player embeds as well. This new player is nimble and responsive, equipped for quicker load times and less processing power from your computer so it won’t slow you down.
Livestream hasn’t completely given up on Flash yet. The new HTML5 player is only available to Google Chrome users who are viewing video streams on the Livestream website or embedded Livestream media players. But, the company is planning to implement HTML5 on other browsers and platforms:
We’re eager to implement the HTML5 player across all browsers, including support for Safari, Firefox, and others. These changes are automatic, so users will not need to adjust their account settings, nor will they incur any additional cost.
This is great news for video producers and consumers. Hopefully, more platforms will follow Livestream’s lead and begin implementing HTML5 media players.