Silverlight and HTML 5, the Future Is Bright for Both

With Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) having been added to the browser that feature support for HTML5, adoption of the standard will undoubtedly be accelerated across the board, from end users to developers. There is one aspect of HTML5 capable of catalyzing questions about the future relevance of technologies such as Silverlight, namely the < video > tag.

Brad Becker, Director of Product Management, Developer Platforms revealed that the Redmond company expects HTML5 to become ubiquitous and reach the same popularity as HTML 4.01.

However, despite this, and in spite of the HTML5 < video > tag, the software giant doesn’t expect the world wide web to need Silverlight any less.

Fact is that on the web, HTML5 is only now adopting as standards the innovations first introduced by browser plug-ins like Flash and Silverlight.

“This is necessary because some of these features are so pervasive on the web that they are seen by users as fundamentally expected capabilities,” Becker explained.

“And so the baseline of the web becomes a little higher than it was before. But user expectations are always rising even faster—there are always more problems we can solve and further possibilities needing to be unlocked through innovation.”

As far as Silverlight is concerned, the technology was never intended to kill HTML. Fact is that the Silverlight and HTML5 can be used in tandem.

And as far as < video > is concerned, but also in additional aspects, HTML5 is yet to be finalized. For example, the industry hasn’t managed to come to a consensus as to which video codec should be associated with HTML5, with some using Ogg Theora, others H.264, and others VP8.

“On the web, the purpose of Silverlight has never been to replace HTML; it's to do the things that HTML (and other technologies) couldn't in a way that was easy for developers to tap into. Microsoft remains committed to using Silverlight to extend the web by enabling scenarios that HTML doesn't cover,” Becker revealed.

“From simple “islands of richness” in HTML pages to full desktop-like applications in the browser and beyond, Silverlight enables applications that deliver the kinds of rich experiences users want".

“We group these into three broad categories: premium media experiences, consumer apps and games, and business/enterprise apps.”

But there are additional arguments to keep in mind. Microsoft praises Silverlight as the fastest runtime on the web in certain situations today, and says that the technology is capable of delivering superior performance to HMTL5.

In addition, even when HTML5 will be finalized, there is no guarantee that all browser makers will implement the standard in the same way. In contrast, with Silverlight, the software giant guarantees that rendering will be the same everywhere.

In addition, there is the matter of timing. Standards like HTML5 take a very long time to be developed, implemented and adopted.

“In about half the time HTML 5 has been under design, we've created Silverlight and shipped four major versions of it,” Baker said.

“And it's still unclear exactly when HTML 5 and its related specs will be complete with full test suites. For HTML 5 to be really targetable, the spec has to stabilize, browsers have to all implement the specs in the same way, and over a billion people have to install a new browser or buy a new device or machine".

“That's going to take a while. And by the time HTML 5 is broadly targetable, Silverlight will have evolved significantly.”

At the same time, customers must understand that while HTML5 is limited to the web, Silverlight is not. In fact, Silverlight applications can be built for mobile devices, for the desktop and even for TVs, outside the reach of HTML5.

Becker also provided a list with the key differentiators between the experiences that Silverlight will make available and those powered by HTML5:

“Premium Media Experiences:

•High Definition (HD) H.264 and VC-1 video •Content protection including DRM •Stereoscopic 3D video •Multicast •Live broadcast support •(Adaptive) Smooth Streaming •Information overlays / Picture-in-picture •Analytics support with the Silverlight Analytics Framework

Consumer Apps and Games

•Fully-customizable controls with styles and skins •The best designer – developer workflow through our tools and shared projects •Fluid motion via bitmap caching and effects •Perspective 3D •Responsive UI with .NET and multithreading

Business/Enterprise Apps

•Full set of 60+ pre-built controls, fully stylable •Productive app design and development tools •Powerful performance with .NET and C# •Powerful, interactive data visualizations through charting controls and Silverlight PivotViewer •Flexible data support: Databinding, binary XML, LINQ, and Local Storage •Virtualized printing •COM automation (including Microsoft Office connectivity), group policy management.”

Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) Platform Preview 4 is available for download here.