Flash Developer Take on HTML5 Multimedia Future

Coming from the Flash world, where the community has a voice and there’s a name & address assigned for every complaint – existing state of things with HTML5 as an Open Standard just doesn’t make much sense.

True, Flash wasn’t that visible – but, they (MM/Adobe) still made sure to listen and improve upon the community’s demand, keep a system.
Flash is truly cross-platform “write once deploy all” solution that just works, there are great solutions for designers as well as developers (latter can be improved).

Many would see my point of view as an anti-HTML5 pro-Flash developer. Let me correct this:
While today Flash provides the only available cross-platform-device solution for online media, HTML5+JS+CSS3 answers to the lack of visibility and openness as well as a true native browser technology that Flash lacks. As developers we are commuted to provide the best solution to the client requirements regardless of what technology is being used.
Open Source is my native choice, not because of it being at the price of 0 (usually) nor because of its “underground aura” – But because of its visibility, openness and ability to generate global consensus due to having all facts revealed.

HTML5 is being controlled and lead by a consortium of major companies & organizations – not by a community.
HTML5 promises is to be open and agreed-upon, however the reality is the opposite: no agreement, no single implementation that will just work the same everywhere and no single place that provides visibility on the process. Just half-results published on the W3C site when things are finally ironed out, and implementation on the browser side is not even being discussed, so using the same HTML5+JS+CSS script will not necessarily provide the same result across all browsers/devices.

Until the browser creators and many member organizations on the W3C will agree on things like codecs & implementations we will not have a true cross-platform-device Open Standard, and we as web developers will still have to rely on weird hacks to solve cross-platform issues.

As web developers, we should make the noise and send the message to the standard creators and browser makers: This time work together! We want to write HTML+JS+CSS once, and no dirty hacks!

HTML5 rocks! Please do it right this time.

Now on the technical side.
In order for HTML5 to truly replace Flash in the kingdom of multimedia, there must be solutions for all 3 below:

  1. Cross-Platform-Device (‘nuogh said).
  2. Hardware accelerated optimized run-time – Games & RIA’s must be responsive. This is not 1990, we want to use vector graphics, great filters & display-list architecture that allows easy to understand and manage z-ordering.
  3. Authoring Environment – The fact that SVG can be used to create kick-ass vector illustrations and some animation is not enough, designers usually don’t write code. Major part of the success Flash has is attributed to the great designer and designer-developer workflow tools that MM/Adobe created. For HTML5 to provide a true alternative, solutions like the Flash IDE will need to be created (or the Flash IDE will start exporting to HTML5+SVG).

The Prezi from OSCON Future of HTML5 Multimedia (Flash Developer Part):