Partially yes. The problem with Flash ads is that they are difficult to block (without blocking Flash wholesale), because we don't have access to the runtime. There's no reasonable way for the browser to deep-inspect a Flash embed and determine whether or not it's abusive or relevant. There's also no way for your browser to alter and reformat content - it's either shown precisely the way Flash wants it to be shown, or not at all.
HTML ads will be rendered by software the user actually owns and controls - the browser market is healthy, largely driven by open source, and there is choice in your "runtime". Making all ads render in HTML will be a tremendous win for the user.
As someone else mentioned also, Flash is one of the worst pieces of software known to man when it comes to bugs and exploits. Nary a day goes by without a serious 0-day Flash breach being discovered, and it is still notoriously crashy.
I want advertisers to continue to use Flash, precisely because Flash is trivial to block and is almost always advertising.
There are approximately two exceptions, Youtube and Vimeo, and they can be handled with any of several click-to-play Flash blockers.
Making all ads render in HTML will make them much harder to block, because there will no longer be such a common telltale for animating, distracting cruft.
> scope (number of videos' that will play using it)
Many videos don't play in HTML5 on Youtube because of mandatory ads (displayed as overlays) and various settings available to right holders. The Youtube HTML5 player is perfectly potent...
> and style
... and on par with its Flash-based sibling. Now if you want to argue the Youtube player (be it HTML5 or Flash) is not as stylish and functional as Vimeo's, so be it.
HTML ads will be rendered by software the user actually owns and controls - the browser market is healthy, largely driven by open source, and there is choice in your "runtime". Making all ads render in HTML will be a tremendous win for the user.
As someone else mentioned also, Flash is one of the worst pieces of software known to man when it comes to bugs and exploits. Nary a day goes by without a serious 0-day Flash breach being discovered, and it is still notoriously crashy.