XHTML+SMIL

The next generation of browsers will handle audio and video as simply as old browsers handle text and images.

HTML+TIME

In the previous section, you saw that Internet Explorer can display SMIL elements in HTML.

A brief history of its background is as follows:

In June 1998, MIL 1.0 became a W3C recommended standard.

In September 1998, Microsoft, Macromedia, Compaq/Digital, and Digital Renaissance submitted HTML+TIME as a proposal to add SMIL 1.0 timing and synchronization to HTML to the W3C.

The HTML+TIME document describes various SMIL features that can be found in Internet Explorer 5.

XHTML+SMIL

In August 2001, SMIL 2.0 became a W3C recommended standard, and XHTML+SMIL became an independent working draft, based on the concepts in the HTML+TIME records.

The XHTML+SMIL document describes various SMIL features supported in Internet Explorer 6.0.

You can find more information on our W3C TutorialRead more about SMIL activities here.

What is happening now?

SMIL is currently in a very interesting development process.

SMIL 1.0 defines a simple method for creating visual programs and how to play them.

HTML+TIME adds SMIL 1.0 capabilities to almost all HTML elements.

SMIL 2.0 adds interactivity and transitions to SMIL 1.0.

XHTML+SMIL adds SMIL 2.0 capabilities to almost all HTML elements.

XHTML+SMIL has the great potential to bring the web to a higher level, allowing browsers to handle video and audio as old browsers handle text and images. Most of the features have already been implemented in Internet Explorer.

Why XHTML+SMIL?

Is it not obvious?

To run SMIL presentations, you need a SMIL player. If you want your audience to see these presentations, they must install the SMIL player. Wouldn't it be better if your audience could display your presentations in web browsers?

SMIL defines a series of multimedia elements. You can assign layout, timing, and transition properties and rules to each element. Wouldn't it be better if you could add these properties and rules to all HTML elements?

At CodeW3C.com, we have created many examples that anyone can use a simple text editor to extract the essence, and then effectively communicate their ideas like television media. Dive in and practice it yourself.