Your webpage is rocking with Text, Images, maybe some Audio vibes, but now you’re thinking bigger. What if you could plop a video right in there, like a cooking demo, a cat montage, or that short film you made in your backyard? That’s where the HTML <video> tag steps up, an HTML5 superstar that lets you play movies without any old-school plugin nonsense. I still remember the first time I got a clip rolling on my page. It was like I’d built my own little Netflix, and I couldn’t stop hitting replay. Let’s pop some popcorn and figure this out together!

The <video> tag is your ticket. Here’s a simple setup:

That controls adds play, pause, and volume buttons, while width="400" sets the size in pixels. The <source> points to your video file, like “my-clip.mp4”, and type clues the browser in. Load that, and you’ve got a playable video right there. I tried this with a goofy dance video I found, and it was instant fun.

You can cover your bases with multiple formats:

Browsers grab the first one they like, and that text shows if they flake out. I learned that trick after a friend’s browser choked on MP4 but loved WebM. Saved me some hassle!

Here’s one I played with:

A looping ocean clip, sized just right. That loop keeps it going, great for ambiance. I skipped controls once, and it was a silent mystery box. Never again! You can toss in autoplay, but browsers often mute it unless you add muted.

Next time you’re coding, snag a video file and drop it in a <video> tag. Hit play and watch your page turn into a screen star. I stuck a dog trick clip in a pet page once, and it stole the show!