HTML5 and Web Kit identification

[tamparrc]

New to HTML5 and have a question that as of yet nobody (including "the google") has had an answer for. So here goes:

When <video> is used to embed, the server has to ID the web kit (mobile, chrome, ie, safari, etc) a given device is using in order to extract the proper format to match the given devices media player.

For example if I request to view an embedded video from my iPhone while using Mercury the server has to somehow know to deliver a device compatible (H.264) video format.

How is this done on the server side? Can anyone give me an example of the code fed from the device to the server that contains the web kit ID?

[zcorpan]

When <video> is used to embed, the server has to ID the web kit (mobile, chrome, ie, safari, etc) a given device is using in order to extract the proper format to match the given devices media player.

No. That's not the right way to do it. The right way it to provide all your formats and let the client choose one it can play.

Code: Select all

<video controls>
<source src="foo.webm" type="video/webm">
<source src="foo.mp4" type="video/mp4">
</video>

[tamparrc]

Okay, so where I'm wrong is in the heirarchy...the server delivers a menu of files and the device decides which it'd like to order? I had it backward then...

Is the server ever given the web kit information or is that device only?

[zcorpan]

Okay, so where I'm wrong is in the heirarchy...the server delivers a menu of files and the device decides which it'd like to order? I had it backward then...

Yeah.

Is the server ever given the web kit information or is that device only?

I don't know what "web kit information" is. Are you referring to WebKit the rendering engine? Or something else?