Multi-Media on mobile browsers is not as simple as computer based browsers
On smartphones and tablets, the device manufacturers and browser builders, by design, have chosen to not support automatic download of audio or video without an explicit action from the end-user.
Most likely this decision is to prevent automatic download of large files over telephone networks.
- Because of the small screen-size and limited multi-tasking in the smartphones, the vendors (Google, Blackberry, Apple) have also independently chosen to launch audio in separate applications. While this does not give the exact same experience as a desktop browser would, it gives the user more control over downloading, stopping, and starting their multimedia.
- HTML5 - The Goal of HTML5 is to support Audio and Video without the need of a plug-in
- ReadyGo supports HTML5; files saved as .ogg and ogv. Furthermore ReadyGo finds out what HTML code is needed for each browser so that the desired feature works, and we work (very hard) to find an implementation that will work successfully in as many situations as possible.
- HTML5 is still a proposed standard. However, the proposed mechanisms for .ogg and .ogv will make life easier once the browser manufacturers actually support them. Currently this support from browser manufacturers is spotty even on DESKTOP computers:
Firefox supports both ogv and ogg
- Google chrome supports both ogv and ogg
- Apple Safari (built on the same engine as Chrome) does not support them
- Microsoft IE does not support ogg and ogv
- Mobile support for audio and video
- Unfortunately there is not one codec that works well on Droids and Apple devices. There is not even one codec that works on all the different Droids.
- Audio - Encoding WAV files using MP3 codecs work natively in desktop computers and will work on iPhone and some Droids. More details on encoding this way.
- Apple iphone/iPad supported audio formats - learn more
- Droid supported audio formats - learn more
- Video - You can save a video as QuickTime AND save it as MPEG4, place both versions on a page.
- Currently the iPhone/iPad will play the QuickTime and not show a broken link for the MPEG4.
- Most Droids will play the MPEG4 and not show a broken link for the QuickTime.
