Vimeo trials HTML5 player

The Vimeo team announced today that it has begun trials of a new player based on the fledgling HTML5 video standard.

HTML5 is the next generation of the basic language used to design and present websites: HyperText Markup Language. Version five brings many enhancements that will improve the visual experience and performance of webpages but, most notably for Vimeo users, it offers the ability to play music and video without a plugin like Adobe’s Flash or Microsoft’s Silverlight.

Of the new HTML5 player, Vimeo’s developers were quick to address limitations saying, “It only works for about 25% of you: you must be running the latest versions of [Safari or Chrome].” Further, Vimeo noted that only about 90% of videos uploaded in the last year are compatible with the player, while 35% of all videos will automatically default to the Flash plugin.

Chrome and Safari users interested in trying the HTML5 player can press the “switch to HTML5 player” link below any video to give it a try. Firefox and Internet Explorer users, meanwhile, must be content to wait out a protracted standards war centered around licensing fees for H.264, the video codec of choice for Vimeo’s HTML5 implementation.