Hulu Won't be Using HTML5 Anytime Soon
Hulu Won't be Using HTML5 Anytime Soon
Posted 05/13/2010 at 2:40pm
| by Ryan Whitwam
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Hulu is constantly updating their Flash-based video player, but one change they don't plan on making is the addition of an HTML5 video option. The company's VP of products Eugene Wei said in a blog post that, "[HTML5] doesn’t yet meet all of our customers’ needs." He lists a number of reasons for this, many of which point to the callous side of the streaming business. Wei notes that the Hulu player must secure content, serve ads, and control bandwidth.
HTML5 video is seen as the next step beyond Flash by many. It would use a tag to describe a video element to the browser, which then decodes the video directly. This necessarily means the video is more accessible to the end user, making it easier to copy. This is one of the reasons Hulu feels HTML5 isn't for them. Add to that the inability of HTML5 as it stands to serve ads within content, and you can see why Hulu is sticking with Flash.
This course of action will keep devices like the iPad from playing Hulu content for the time being. Though, possible mobile apps could get around that. In fact, that would jive nicely with Hulu's rumored pay model. Do you feel like HTML5 is the future, or will issues like this hold it back?
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ZayLay
May 14, 2010 at 9:21am
I'm sorry but you can't beat the quality and optimization of vector based flash, it's too scaleable. No single video format will replace interactive vector based content that allows the combination of video. HTML5 is the latest AJAX buzzword that means nothing. It will take years to mature to even come close to compete with, let alone replace Flash.
Taz0
May 15, 2010 at 12:25am
Uhh, that's what SVG is for - vector based graphics (incl. animation and the likes). And the canvas tag is for raster based graphics (which flash doesn't support). Both are part of the HTML5 spec.
But I do agree that the video tag cannot replace Flash/Silverlight. It is very basic and just a way to throw a video on a page that the browser can play natively. When you need more than that, you have to use an RIA platform (for example, Sliverlight's "smooth streaming" - transitioning between different video quality levels according to changing available bandwidth, cannot be done in HTML5).
snapple00
May 13, 2010 at 10:53pm
I used to like Hulu. Now I can't watch anything because the advertisements are so damn loud.
I'm sitting there watching at a normal volume, then BAM! Advertisement twice as god damn loud. I am going to make damn well sure I don't buy any products in those ads.
Nyarlathotep
May 14, 2010 at 7:39pm
It's not just Hulu. I have noticed this with cable programming too. The commercials are too friggin' loud. I am sure it's a marketing gimmick but I swear I will not buy a product advertised by any of the companies using this gimmick unless there really is no alternative. Does anyone know of any software to normalize volume for streaming media on the PC? I get closer and closer every day to ditching the cable and setting up an HTPC in the living room for my TV watching because of things like this.
"Sheesh, it's just one man's opinion..." -Me
Nyarlathotep
May 13, 2010 at 7:21pm
I have never had a problem with Hulu. I just tried watching Lost on ABC's site and it was almost unbearable. Between the constant pauses for buffering and the player dropping out of fullscreen mode after every ad I barely made it through the episode. Besides HTML5 isn't predicted to be ratified into a standard until 2013 or something like that.
"Sheesh, it's just one man's opinion..." -Me
IFLATLINEI
May 13, 2010 at 4:16pm
Hulu needs to do something. They dont stream video has as well as Netflix.
SuperiorBeing
May 13, 2010 at 3:48pm
The <video> tag looks a lot better than flash from a performance and simplicity standpoint, but its insecurity and lack of single codec is going to slow its adoption. The issue of Theora vs h.264 is a really big one.
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