Dive Into HTML5: Video on the Web

You may recall a few months ago I posted a slew of links related to the new <video> tag in HTML5. My obsession was fueled by two things: (a) that adding built-in official support for video in HTML5 was a great idea, one of the very best new things in the spec; and (b) that, due to the convoluted situation surrounding audio and video codecs, it was utterly unclear how exactly one should or even could use it, even if only targeting Firefox and WebKit-based browsers.

I had the idea that I should figure it all out and document it. I gave up. Luckily for all of us, Mark Pilgrim did not, and his new chapter on video for his in-progress Dive Into HTML5 is comprehensive — and as usual, written with clarity and style. This is a must-bookmark reference for anyone who makes web sites.

★ Friday, 16 October 2009