Why IE Doesn't Support HTML 5 Video (Yet)

July 9, 2009

One of the most talked about aspects of the emerging HTML 5 specification is the new video tag. Several browsers including Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox support HTML 5 video already, though to date Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) does not.

The HTML 5 video tag removes the need for a browser to embed a separate video player (like Flash) and enables the Web page to control the player. One of the big sticking points for the HTML 5 video specification revolves around the issue of which (if any) codec (define) to include by default.

The latest iterations of the HTML 5 specification have removed any direct requirement for a codec, be it H.264 or Ogg Theora. Mozilla supports Ogg, while other browser vendors have been leaning toward H.264 which includes patented technologies.

It is issues around codecs and patents that could limit the effectiveness of HTML 5 video and its adoption by both Web site developers and even browser vendors....

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Source: Internetnews.com