CBS Is Testing IPad/IPhone-Friendly Vids

If you follow the tech blogs, you know that Apple hates Adobe Flash. Steve Jobs believes it’s last-gen technology that’s crashy and buggy, and it doesn’t want to support it, yadda yadda.

Sadly, most of the online video world still uses Flash as a standard (which is why we can’t see it on any of our iDevices). Apple’s solution? Just get everyone to dump Flash and use HTML5.

While Cupertino has had some success here, we’re a long ways from considering HTML5 the most pervasive standard. But at least more content providers are moving toward it, thanks to Apple’s nudging.

The latest major corp on the bandwagon is CBS. True to CBS Interactive Senior VEEP Anthony Soohoo’s statements that CBS.com would be totally converted to HTML5 by the fall, the company has started testing iPad-friendly vids and content streaming from its website. CBSi is trying out HTML5-friendly eps of Star Trek Enterprise.

The company hinted that it might even unveil a dedicated app, like ABC’s very popular iPad application. That would be sweet. It’s one step closer to ditching my cable bill and just using iPad/iPhone apps and Safari.

Of course, HBO would have to get off its butt and offer vid streaming for non-cable customers — unlike HBO GO — or at least an app. And NBC and TimeWarner would have to change their minds, and embrace HTML5. That could happen, right?