Introduction

The goal of this tutorial is to guide you through the process of creating and embedding video content on your HTML website using the HTML5 <video> element. By the end of this tutorial, you will be familiar with:

• Different video formats and codecs
• The use of the HTML5 <video> element
• How to control video playback using HTML and JavaScript

Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of HTML and CSS.

Step-by-Step Guide

Video Formats and Codecs

When creating video content for the web, it's essential to understand the different video formats and codecs available. The most common video formats for the web include MP4, WebM and OGG. MP4 is most widely supported, while WebM and OGG are used for more specific use cases.

A video codec is software or hardware that compresses and decompresses digital video. In the context of video for the web, codecs can be viewed as methods of compressing video to reduce file size and thus reduce download times.

The HTML5 <video> Element

The HTML5 <video> element is used to embed a video in a webpage. Here's the basic syntax:

<video src="myVideo.mp4" controls></video>

Here, src is the source file of the video, and controls is an attribute that enables the default set of playback controls.

Controlling Video Playback

You can control video playback using JavaScript. For example, you can create custom playback buttons, or start and stop video playback based on user interaction.

Code Examples

Basic Video Embedding

Here's a simple example of embedding a video:

<video src="myVideo.mp4" controls></video>

In this example, myVideo.mp4 is the video file, and controls displays the default video controls.

Multiple Sources

You can specify multiple sources for a video to ensure it plays correctly across different browsers:

<video controls>
  <source src="myVideo.mp4" type="video/mp4">
  <source src="myVideo.webm" type="video/webm">
  Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>

Here, the browser will use the first recognized format.

Custom Playback Controls

You can create custom playback controls using JavaScript:

<video id="myVideo" src="myVideo.mp4"></video>
<button onclick="playVideo()">Play</button>

<script>
function playVideo() {
  document.getElementById('myVideo').play();
}
</script>

In this example, the playVideo() function is called when the button is clicked, starting video playback.

Summary

In this tutorial, we've covered:

• The different video formats and codecs for the web
• How to use the HTML5 <video> element to embed videos in your webpage
• How to control video playback using HTML and JavaScript

Next, you might want to learn about advanced video features, like adding captions or subtitles, or streaming video. The HTML5 Video documentation on MDN is a great resource.

Practice Exercises

1. Create a webpage with a video and the default playback controls.
2. Create a webpage with a video and custom playback controls. The controls should include play, pause, and stop buttons.
3. Create a webpage with a video that starts playing automatically when the page loads, and stops playing when the user clicks a button.

Solutions and tips for these exercises can be found in the HTML5 Video documentation on MDN. Happy coding!