The shift from Flash to HTML5 for rich, immersive, interactive sites and website modules reminds me of the shift from CRTs to LCDs over the past decade. LCDs had some advantages over CRTs from the beginning: they were sharper, had a more attractive and convenient form factor, and used less power. But they couldn’t touch CRTs with regard to color quality, viewing angle, and refresh rate.

But it didn’t matter.

CRTs were on the way out and LCDs were replacing them. There was no denying it. There was really no fighting it. LCDs were the future, even if they weren’t better for everyone and every situation. But, even today, there are certain people and certain situations that demand a CRT instead of an LCD. This is an ever-shrinking segment, but it’s still there. Barely. LCDs that have the color quality demanded by some photography and print pros are available, but their prices are still staggeringly high. And how many companies are making CRTs?

Today, HTML5 can do a lot of what used to only be possible with Flash. It can’t do everything and when it comes to complex animation and interactivity, building something with Flash will be faster and cheaper.

But it doesn’t matter.

HTML5 is the future. There’s no denying it. There’s no fighting it. Flash is getting replaced by HTML5, even if it’s not better for every situation. If you make something with HMTL5 instead of Flash, it can be viewed properly on modern browsers and mobile devices. And, today, that’s enough to make it the better choice. Even if the end result looks and acts better and takes less time to develop and test with Flash, HTML5 is going to be used in place of Flash for many applications. As it should. Because it is the better choice. But there are certain times where Flash is still the way to go. And it’s going to be that way for years to come.

Choosing the better option isn’t always the best choice. (Yes, that’s meant to be a brain twister.) Just as the image quality of LCDs couldn’t touch the image quality of CRTs, LCDs won. Digital cameras outsold film cameras before digital cameras actually took better pictures than film cameras. The fact that the pictures weren’t as good and they had frustrating shutter-lag didn’t matter.

Digital won before it was better.

What’s my point? Maybe just that someone who says that HTML5 is better than Flash is like someone saying, five or six years ago, that LCDs are better than CRTs. In what way? Maybe yes, maybe no. I’ve always been and remain more interested in the absolute quality of things. Especially visual things. So it hurts a little to see the look and feel of the web degrade a little bit in the name of progress.

I’m just musing. This blog is titled Erik’s Brain, and this is the thought that popped up there just a few moments ago. Onward to the next though: I need lunch.