Vimeo gets Flash-HTML5 hybrid player
Vimeo has made its embedded video player compatible with more devices with a new version that can serve up either an Adobe Flash-based player or an HTML5 video player on the fly.
Video host Vimeo put out a new version of its player on Tuesday that can detect the hardware of the end user and spit out either an Adobe Flash or HTML5 video player, as well as a proper video stream based on connection.
The feature was designed for compatibility on mobile devices--something Vimeo began working on late last year, though mainly for its paying pro members and for a handful of its featured content channels.
The new player works just the same as the old one, and the embed code itself is the same for both player technologies. The change is that which one gets loaded depends on the device that's accessing it and its bandwidth conditions. YouTube began testing something similar back in June, and plans to make it the default--something Vimeo has just done.
Along with the new player, Vimeo quietly rolled out a new feature called "Watch Later" that allows users to bookmark videos to watch at a later date. This differs from the service's like button, which would share your video preferences with other users, and instead keeps bookmarked videos in a private playlist.
Both features are now live on the site.