Last week we discussed “Video For Everyone,” a great option for delivering video to a large audience independent of the format supported by their device. This prompted several discussions on the state of video on HTML Emails. In the past, using video in HTML emails has been problematic because of security issues, varied HTML implementation by email services, and the lack a of standards body to outline and enforce specifications. These limitations have not deterred developers from seeking ways to solve this problem.

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• Frame rate: You must reduce the video’s frame rate to 12fps prior to converting it into an animated GIF. The human eye perceives motion at 24 frames per second but, even at 12fps, the animation will be fast enough to give the illusion of motion. Additionally, be mindful of the scenes you select. Fast sequences or intense action scenes don’t lend themselves well to the GIF process and can end up looking jerky and jarring.
• Resolution: Converting your video into an animated GIF and reducing its resolution lowers the file size by reducing the data it contains. It’s recommended that adjustments to the video resolution are made first because the amount of data lost is greater when converting to the GIF format. How good the final product looks is directly influenced by how much of the original data remains.
• File Size: An animated GIF will be treated like any other image in your email; careful attention needs to be paid to the final file size. A large file will hinder the viewers' experience, get flagged by spam filters or not be delivered at all because of email size restrictions. Limit your video to no more than 20 seconds and avoid using resolutions greater than 320x260. Note: Before deciding to use an animated GIF you should take careful consideration of your target audience. Unlike embedded video on a website, animated GIF are downloaded, not streamed like the former.
• Audio: Animated GIFs do not have audio. Due to this limitation they should only be used as previews to prompt the email recipient to go to a webpage to receive the full experience.
• Alternate Image: Unfortunately, not all email clients support animated GIF. Those that don’t, like Outlook 2007, will only display the first frame of the image. The beginning of your video should be something you are comfortable with as a still shot.

Alternative Content Image (ACI)
An alternate content image is a placeholder image skinned to look like an embedded video. It simulates the look and feel of a video player, QuickTime, Flash, etc. with the first frame of your video already queued. The image is linked to a web or YouTube page that will be opened when the user clicks on it. This approach is a workaround for a myriad of issues involved with getting video to play on HTML emails. It is also very effective at prompting your email recipients to take action.

HTML5 Video
Although the HTML5 specification has not been finalized, many browsers and some email clients have started supporting it. “Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera have offered support for much of the new technology for some time.” As far as HTML emails are concerned, the only feature we care about is the video tag. The video tag in HTML5 brings native video playback to browsers. Using the video tag, you can link to the source video file and specify an alternate image to display if the video cannot be played. Browsers and email clients that do not support it will display the placeholder image you specify. This image can be linked to a web or YouTube page and the user can be redirected to view your video.

Example:
<video width="" height="" poster="screenshot.jpg" controls="controls">
<source src="http://mysite.com/videoname.mp4" type="video/mp4" />
<a href="http://mysite.com/"><img src=" screenshot.jpg" width="" height="" /></a>
</video>

Although the latest versions of the Firefox, Safari, and Chrome and Opera browsers support HTML5 video, playback is spotty since web-based email clients have varied levels of HTML specification support. The majority of these email clients still display an alternate image.

We are very excited by the new developments in this field and we’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Is video in HTML something you would find useful as part of your company’s marketing strategy? Drop us a line (link to contact page) or give us call at 617.338.8922.