Why Your Business Needs to Start Using HTML5 Video

For businesses that are still unclear about why they need to stream HTML5 video, a discussion at the recent HTML5 Video Summit in Los Angeles attempted to make the issue clear. Speaking on "The Business Case for HTML5 Video," Devon Copley, managing director for media and entertainment for Kaltura described the audience that only HTML5 video can reach:

"The HTML5 video universe is really characterized by mobile devices -- by tablets and smartphones. In short, there's a new breed of online video consumers: it's not the desktop video user of yore; instead, it's somebody sitting on the sofa with an iPad or on a train or a bus with an Android phone. It's a different setting, it's a different set of people, it's a different consumption experience, and it requires a different approach," said Copley.

Looking at the global tablet audience can be misleading, Copley explained, as tablet devices haven't yet caught on outside the U.S. Around 85 percent of tablet sales are in the U.S. Tablet viewers are more likely to watch long-form content, perhaps because the tablet  experience is closer to the TV experience than what a desktop computer offers.

"This new breed of online video consumers, there are a number of ways to access this audience but they all have their drawbacks. Obviously, mobile apps are a particularly immersive and high-quality way to reach out to this audience, but there's an enormous barrier to actually get people to download an app and install it," Copley advised.

Copley also cited high app development costs, including the need to create apps for multiple devices and platforms, as a reason to turn to HTML5 video delivery instead.

"Even if you're selling premium, long-form content, your customers aren't going to pay $4.99 to see it unless they can see a trailer first, and they're not going to be able to see a trailer first unless you make that available in HTML5 video," said Copley.

For more on HTML5 video, including ways to protect content, watch the whole discussion below:

The Business Case for HTML5 Video

With major media sites such as YouTube, The New York Times, Flickr, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Vimeo now offering HTML5 video players, and Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Opera web browsers rapidly adding HTML5 features, it's time to consider what HTML5 offers in comparison to competing proprietary technologies such as Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, and Sun's JavaFX. What are the implications for your business? What tools are available for effectively using HTML5 multimedia elements? What are the trade-offs? This session looks at the current state of the market and discusses how you can expect HTML5 video to impact your business.

Speaker: Devon Copley, Managing Director, Media and Entertainment, Kaltura

Troy Dreier's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net