Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

YouTube Ditches Flash For HTML5 Video By Default

Posted by Soulskill on from the now-if-they-can-ditch-the-commenters dept.

An anonymous reader writes: YouTube today announced it has finally stopped using Adobe Flash by default. The site now uses its HTML5 video player by default in Google's Chrome, Microsoft's IE11, Apple's Safari 8, and in beta versions of Mozilla's Firefox browser. At the same time, YouTube is now also defaulting to its HTML5 player on the web. In fact, the company is deprecating the "old style" Flash object embeds and its Flash API, pointing users to the iFrame API instead, since the latter can adapt depending on the device and browser you're using.

16 of 225 comments (clear)

  1. Now if only... by msobkow · · Score: 4, Informative

    Now if only Bell Media/CTV here in Canada would do the same. They are the ONLY family of websites I know of that won't work with the Linux versions of Flash, complaining that you need an update because they check for the WINDOWS version numbers.

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
    1. Re:Now if only... by Zombie+Ryushu · · Score: 5, Informative

      I had that issue with Pogo Srabble, there are a few work arounds:

      1. Use a Hex editor and edit the Version number to one the site likes
      2. Use FreshPlayerPlugin with the Chromium version of Flash. That really does work.
      3. Use Google Chrome/Chromium.

  2. flash updates by crgrace · · Score: 5, Funny

    But, but, who is going to remind me every 36 hours that a new version of flash I need to download (along with crapware) is available?

    1. Re:flash updates by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Java will work hard to make sure you stay annoyed.

  3. 3, 2, 1... by sribe · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Just uninstalled Flash minutes ago. I'd been thinking about it for a while, but this pushed me to take action.

    Now if I run into any site that requires it, I'll just go away.

  4. Re: Finaly. by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Javascript and SVG. How good the authoring applications are for them, on the other hand, I am not sure. Flash, may still have the better authoring tools?

    --
    Jumpstart the tartan drive.
  5. Re:Adobe by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I care. The death of Flash will be celebrated by many. Once YouTube stops using it there will be no reason to even install it any more. No more annoying updates, no more vulnerabilities.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  6. Re:About D%^& time. by kosmosik · · Score: 5, Informative

    > Now if google would just announce no more flash allowed in ads, we'd be set.

    If you are using Chrome you can set "Click to play" policy for all plugins in chrome://settings/content - as result you won't see any Flash ads (or any other plugins) without clicking on the placeholder. This way you get rid of Flash ads and it is also way more secure to just do not run plugins if you don't explicitly want to. You can also turn on plugins on a white list per site basis.

  7. Re:Adobe by r1348 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There's still one: porn.

  8. So they've finally fixed Pause & Resume? by CrashNBrn · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Every time I've tried the "HTML5 video" on YouTube, it would:
    1) lose sync, or just stop loading,
    2) wouldn't let you pause/resume, and
    3) didn't properly cache so you could "rewind" without streaming (download the same bits) again.

    Or is YouTube yet another site that's now "Best Viewed in Chrome" (TM) ?

    1. Re:So they've finally fixed Pause & Resume? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, this is Google we're talking about here.

      Fantastic Ideas, Half-Assed Implementation, Terrible Follow-Thru, Limited Product Lifetime.

  9. Re:Adobe by epyT-R · · Score: 5, Informative

    Anyone dumb enough to depend on cloud services for critical workflow deserves what they get.

  10. their IDEs (revenue) switching to HTML5 by raymorris · · Score: 4, Informative

    Adobe doesn't sell the plugin, they sell their development tools. Those development tools are slowly being switched to html5, so Adobe's customers can continue to use them as always.

  11. Re:Anything like Flashblock for HTML5? by mojo-raisin · · Score: 4, Informative

    https://chrome.google.com/webs...

    Magic Actions for YouTube
    Check box the following:
            Stop Autoplay
            Don't stop when in a playlist
            Speed Booster - Better video preloading / buffering

  12. Re:Adobe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Porn and girlfriends / boyfriends are not mutually exclusive. Because, y'know, they are people too and might not want to exist simply to replace porn whenever you are in the mood.

  13. Come again? by SeaFox · · Score: 4, Insightful

    [YouTube] now uses its HTML5 video player by default in Google's Chrome, Microsoft's IE11, Apple's Safari 8, and in beta versions of Mozilla's Firefox browser. At the same time, YouTube is now also defaulting to its HTML5 player on the web.

    You mean the web you browse with Google's Chrome, Microsoft's IE11, Apple's Safari 8, and in beta versions of Mozilla's Firefox?
    Am I missing something here, or are these sentences completely redundant?