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Last I heard HTML5 in Firefox can't play H.264. The problem is mostly licensing. Firefox supports Ogg Theora for HTML5, which is a splinter off a very old VP3 codec from On2. They've improved it some, but it does not match the quality of H.264, or IMO, VP6.
FWIW, Apple will not support Theora in Safari because (they claim) to be concerned about patent restrictions. VP3 was initially patented by On2, but since released into the public domain. Apparently there is a question about On2 warranting that the codec is without patent encumbrance from third-parties. MPEGLA warrants its licensors against patent claims for H.264.
If you have the disk space and technical tools to do it, the best overall scheme is this (basically what YouTube does for most videos):
* If no Flash installed, offer H.264 download and allow browser to launch the appropriate player (e.g. Quicktime in iPhone, etc.)
* If Flash is installed, check version. If less than Flash 8, deliver Sorenson Spark FLV. If Flash 8 or later deliver VP6 FLV.
* Optional: If Flash is installed, and if version of Flash is equal or greater to v9r115, you have a choice of delivering VP6-S if the video is HD, and/or H.264, your choice.
HTML5 - while promising - is currently a curiosity and isn't something to actively support on a production server. I wouldn't, for example, recommend testing if the user has Safara or Firefox 3.5+ and deliver HTML5 instead, especially if I'm doing streaming as opposed to progressive download, bandwidth detection, or anything else that the more elaborate Flash players are often used for.
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