Vimeo Launches Flash-Free HTML5 Video Player

Vimeo announced last week a public beta of their HTML5 player, giving Chrome and Safari users a new video playback option.

The HTML5 player is an alternative to Vimeo's current Flash player. It looks and works almost the same way, only this one loads right away and any part of the video can be viewed without waiting for it to buffer. Video playback is said to be smoother too. At this time the player can't go full screen (not the company's fault…it is a browser limitation); but Vimeo is working on adding full-window support…it should be available in the next day or so, if not already. The company says that approximately 90% of videos uploaded in the last year will work in the new player. For the videos that still require the standard Flash player, Vimeo will automatically switch it for you.

Do keep in mind however, the HTML5 player it is currently a beta test, so it might be a bit buggy. But that's what beta tests are for, right? Also, please note that in order for the HTML5 player to work, you must be running the current version of Safari, Chrome, or IE with Chrome Frame installed. Currently, the HTML5 player only works on Vimeo.com, so if you embed a video on a website, the code will still be Flash.

"We are committed to providing our users with high quality viewing options," said Andrew Pile, Vimeo Vice President of Product and Development. "Many of our members asked for HTML5 support and we listened. We look forward to seeing the results of this beta test."

To use the HTML5 player, simply click the "Switch to HTML5 player" link below any video on Vimeo's website.

For more information, visit Vimeo's blog post at: http://vimeo.com/blog:268.