YouTube Now Using HTML5 As Default For Content

[PhilSynowiec]

Remember when the first iPhone was released and folks were raving about how a cellphone can play YouTube videos on the go? Though the device played most videos on its shackled 2G EDGE connection, some videos wouldn't play on mobile since they were uploaded using Flash format.

Around the same time, Google's YouTube was making a big switch to using HTML5 for YouTube videos, slowing pushing out Adobe's Flash. In a new blog post on YouTube's developer's blog, Engineering Manager Richard Leider announced that the company will be switching to HTML5 for default video playback.

Via YouTube:

Over the last four years, we’ve worked with browser vendors and the broader community to close those gaps, and now, YouTube uses HTML5 by default in Chrome, IE 11, Safari 8 and in beta versions of Firefox.

The benefits of HTML5 extend beyond web browsers, and it's now also used in smart TVs and other streaming devices.

The switch to HTML5 will allow for speedier video streaming, easier access to 60 FPS HD and 4K videos, as well as updates for a "faster and smoother" performance. The YouTube app can be found on the App Store for free.