madison

Networking

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
Home / News & Blogs / Networking

Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.

By | November 9, 2011, 7:29am PST

Summary: It’s official, Adobe is putting its future mobile video efforts behind HTML5. So, do you really think that desktop Flash will survive for long?

Good-bye Adobe Flash. It was nice to have known you.

Good-bye Adobe Flash. It was nice to have known you.

Adobe’s love affair with its Flash format has come to an end. Oh sure, Adobe said they were just killing development on mobile browser Flash in favor of HTML5, but seriously, do you think, that they’ll keep working on Flash on the desktop for much longer? If you do, I have a nice, lightly-used bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you. No, the end of Flash is in sight and HTML5 is now the one true future for Internet video.

In Adobe’s official announcement, Danny Winokur, Adobe’s VP and general manager of interactive development, wrote, “HTML5 is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively. This makes HTML5 the best solution for creating and deploying content in the browser across mobile platforms. We are excited about this, and will continue our work with key players in the HTML community, including Google, Apple, Microsoft and RIM, to drive HTML5 innovation they can use to advance their mobile browsers.”

Notice the second company there? Apple. With this move, Adobe has conceded that Flash was never going to make it to iPads or iPhones. Now, Adobe developers and independent software vendors (ISV)s can work on delivering the goods for Apple’s family of devices.

Of course, Adobe isn’t just saying forget about Flash. Adobe wants to bring all the Flash goodness it can to HTML5.

In speaking about the desktop, Winokur said, “We will continue to leverage our experience with Flash to accelerate our work with the W3C and WebKit to bring similar capabilities to HTML5 as quickly as possible, just as we have done with CSS Shaders. And, we will design new features in Flash for a smooth transition to HTML5 as the standards evolve so developers can confidently invest knowing their skills will continue to be leveraged.”

The writing is on the wall. While Adobe programmers will be able to use their same Adobe software development tools, the end-product is clearly going to be HTML5 video. Flash is now a legacy format.

Silverlight? Microsoft’s one time rival to Flash? It’s toast. Even before this news, it wasn’t a sure thing we’d even see another version of Silverlight. The day of non-standard video formats seems to be coming to and end.

This won’t mean the end of the Web video wars. HTML5 currently supports no fewer than three formats for its video element. These are Ogg files with the Theora video codec and Vorbis audio codec; MPEG4 files with the H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec; and Google’s WebM files with VP8 video codec and Vorbis audio codec. So, we can expect video format battles to continue. But, it does mean that HTML5’s video chief rival, Adobe Flash, is throwing in the towel.

By this time next year, I expect Adobe will have announced that, except for legacy support, all Flash development will have come to an end.

Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.

Related Stories:

Exclusive: Adobe ceases development on mobile browser Flash, refocuses efforts on HTML5 (UPDATED)

Killing Flash for mobile is best thing for Android

Adobe cuts 750 jobs; reaffirms Q4 revenue target

Will there be a Silverlight 6 (and does it matter)?

Native apps could be temporary option until HTML5 improves, panel says

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily e-mail newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

More from “Networking”

Topics

Adobe Systems Inc., Adobe Flash, HTML 5, Video, HREF, Flash, Corporate Communications, Marketing, Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, aka sjvn, has been writing about technology and the business of technology since CP/M-80 was the cutting edge, PC operating system

Disclosure

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols is a freelance writer. He does not own stocks or other investments in any technology company.

Biography

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, aka sjvn, has been writing about technology and the business of technology since CP/M-80 was the cutting edge, PC operating system; 300bps was a fast Internet connection; WordStar was the state of the art word processor; and we liked it.

His work has been published in everything from highly technical publications (IEEE Computer, ACM NetWorker, Byte) to business publications (eWEEK, InformationWeek, ZDNet) to popular technology (Computer Shopper, PC Magazine, PC World) to the mainstream press (Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, BusinessWeek).

Talkback Most Recent of 176 Talkback(s)

  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    HTML5 is not ready until 2014-2015 so there is no reasons to claim Flash is dead.

    Microsoft is trying to push own technologies for that purpose so it is more and more important that developers focus to HTML5 and site designers takes HTML5 in use when it is ready.

    It is clear that on mobile devices flash (and silverlight) is terrible choice for customer for content.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Fri13
    9th Nov
  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    @Fri13
    >>Microsoft is trying to push own technologies for that purpose
    What own technologies? please be specific. Last time when I checked Microsoft is also pushing HTML5. HTML 5 and JavaScript are first class languages on Windows Runtime in Win8 along with C# and VB.NET. We know you have issues with Microsoft, but learn the facts first and then comment.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Rama.NET
    9th Nov
  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    @Rama.NET Microsoft Silverlight is probably what @Fri13 is referring to.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    cryptikonline
    9th Nov
  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    @Rama.NET - So nice to see Apple vindicated. Even nicer to see Microsoft flounder in yet another attempt to take over.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    The Danger is Microsoft
    10th Nov
  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    @Fri13
    what are you talking about? Do you even know microsoft is holding free htlm5 workshops for the past few months? Are you even aware of the work they are doing with the jquery folks all of which is more than a minor thing in the mobile space? Microsoft likes to support a broad range of technology because they are smart enough to know they need to be in every technology that may become the successful one rather than just bet on one.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    rengek
    9th Nov
  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    @rengek You are correct ... Microsoft is directionless. They get into everything so that they can decide what the trends will be and see what they can copy or embrace/modify/proprietise. Remember what they did to Java back in the late nineties?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    john_gillespie@...
    9th Nov
  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    @Fri13
    Does that mean Html5 is suddenly going to become horribly broken with gaping security flaws that need a new patch every month? Can't Adobe stick to Flash and just keep stuffing that up instead?
    Regards from
    Tom happy
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Tom6
    9th Nov
  • Good One
    @Tom6
    You made me laugh.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    CFWhitman
    9th Nov
  • Here today
    @Fri13 we've already migrated our entire reporting platform to HTML5. Can't wait for IE support so using the chrome plugin for now.

    Chrome, Firefox and Safari HTML5 support extensive enough to support business line applications today.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Richard Flude
    9th Nov
  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    @Fri13 "It is clear that on mobile devices flash (and silverlight) is terrible choice for customer for content."
    That's the Jobs line, yeah. Where's the proof? Who has done testing? Sure as hell wasn't anyone with iOS devices because they can't run Flash, so there's no way for them to determine if Flash is or isn't good. And based on my own Android tests, HTML 5 apps take more processor time and battery life than Flash. Okay, not a scientific evaluation, but it's a whole lot more proof than the constant "Flash is a resource hog" nonsense which has absolutely no evidence behind it at all. You, like all mind-numbed Applites, just repeat this line like it's anything other than a statement. No fact, no proof, no evidence, no studies, no research, literally NOTHING to prove the statement correct or incorrect.
    And no, sorry, Steve Jobs' rants don't count as evidence.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    PatrickBay.ca
    9th Nov
  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    @PatrickBay.ca Sounds like you need a diaper change! Thanks for challenging Fri13's lack of proof with your lack of proof. Very humorous!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    john_gillespie@...
    9th Nov
  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    @PatrickBay.ca You're partially correct Patrick. Most people posting here do not understand what they are talking about and can't make the distinction between Flash Player and Flash nor Flash Player and Adobe Air. I am a Flash and HTML5 developer and know the code behind it and many of the limitations of HTML5. You can't honestly compare Flash and HTML5. For video and animation HTML5 is dwarfed by Flash. So for many HTML5 handles a lot of the mobile needs. But a replacement for Flash???? LOL. Not a chance. So this argument that Flash is dead is dead wrong and a stupid ignorant statement. Flash Player for mobiles? Yes that's dead. Flash for mobiles? Very much alive through Adobe Air.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    michaelalaggia
    9th Nov
  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    @PatrickBay.ca - I also have done testing and you're right: HTML5 can be as battery intensive or more so than Flash. And there's no comparison when it comes to animations. While HTML5 (or any HTML) is fine for mostly static business apps, I also doubt seriously that sites like Moshi Monsters are going to drop Flash anytime soon.

    Looking at some of the responses to your post, it's plain to see that people who don't know what they're talking about, continue to resort to childish insults.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    kevindarling
    10th Nov
  • Steve Jobs was right again...
    @Fri13
    Steve Jobs always said that flash is not a good platform for mobile devices. This is what he said in Apr 2010:

    Flash was created during the PC era for PCs and mice. Flash is a successful business for Adobe, and we can understand why they want to push it beyond PCs. But the mobile era is about low power devices, touch interfaces and open web standards all areas where Flash falls short.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    prof123
    9th Nov
  • RE: Flash is dead. Long live HTML5.
    @Fri13 HTML5 is now universally supported on major mobile devices, in some cases exclusively. Flash is dead on mobile devices and the writing is on the wall for the rest of it.

    http://www.html5blog.org/2011/08/04/flash-is-dead/
    ZDNet Gravatar
    StanByme
    9th Nov
View More Comments

Talkback - Tell Us What You Think

Formatting +
BB Codes - Note: HTML is not supported in forums
  • [b] Bold [/b]
  • [i] Italic [/i]
  • [u] Underline [/u]
  • [s] Strikethrough [/s]
  • [q] "Quote" [/q]
  • [ol][*] 1. Ordered List [/ol]
  • [ul][*] · Unordered List [/ul]
  • [pre] Preformat [/pre]
  • [quote] "Blockquote" [/quote]
Click Here

The best of ZDNet, delivered

ZDNet Newsletters

Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox

Facebook Activity

Blog Roll

Blog Archive

White Papers, Webcasts, & Resources