What's HTML5 Video?
HTML is the markup language that makes up every page on the web. The newest version, HTML5, includes specifications for a <video> tag, that's meant to allow web developers to add a video to a page in the same way they would add an image. In order for this to work, web browser developers have built video playback functionality into their browsers.
Playing video in a web page may not seem so special since you can already view video on a web page through plugins like Flash Player, Quicktime, and Silverlight. However, this is actually a big step forward for standardizing video playback across web browsers and devices. The goal is that in the future, developers will only need to use one method for embedding a video, based on open standards (not controlled by one company), and it will work everywhere. Additionally, HTML5 video can improve video performance by not requiring a second application (a plugin) to be running, and opens the door to creating interactions between video and other elements on the page that hasn't been possible before.
What's an HTML5 Video Player?
An HTML5 Video Player is a JavaScript library that builds a custom set of controls over top of the HTML5 video element to provide a consistent look between HTML5 browsers. Video.js builds on this by fixing many cross browser bugs or inconsistencies, adding new features that haven't been implemented by all browsers (like fullscreen and subtitles), as well as providing one consistent JavaScript API for both HTML5, Flash, and other playback technologies.
