Video sharing site Vimeo has extended its support for HTML5 video, with a new player that allows iOS devices to view embedded clips for the first time.
Vimeo was an early adopter of HTML5 as an optional alternative to Flash for videos displayed on its own website. But clips embedded elsewhere were, until now, Flash-only and therefore a blank space on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
The new player automatically delivers video with optimal definition for the particular device or web browser and is easily embedded into sites — simply click the embed button and copy the code. Vimeo has also written a small piece of Javascript that webmasters can add to a site to automatically replace Flash-only embed code.
“The goal is to make the Vimeo player experience as seamless as possible,” says Andrew Pile, director of development, in a blog post. “No matter what device or website Vimeo embed code appears on your video will load, with the same level of privacy, customisation and quality you’ve all come to expect.”
YouTube is also been testing new embedding code that will similarly deliver HTML5 or Flash as appropriate, though the Google-owned site believes that factors such as Flash’s more robust video streaming capabilities and support for usage restrictions (DRM) means it will be the preferred option for a lot of content for some time to come.
