A Comparative Evaluation of Current HTML5 Web Video Implementations

HTML5 video is the upcoming standard for playing videos on the World Wide Web. Although its specification has not been fully adopted yet, all major browsers provide the HTML5 video element and web developers already rely on its functionality. But there are differences between implementations and inaccuracies that trouble the web devel-oper community. To help to improve the current situation we draw a comparison between the most important web browsers. We focus on the event mechanism, since it is essential for interacting with the video element. Furthermore, we compare the seeking accuracy, which is relevant for more specialized applications. Our tests reveal varieties of differences between browser interfaces and show that even simple software solutions may still need third-party plugins in today’s browsers. TYPE OF PAPER AND KEYWORD