What is an HTML5 Video Player?

An HTML5 video player is a software component used to play videos on web pages. It is built using HTML5, the latest version of the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), which is the standard language for creating web pages and applications. On 22 January 2008, HTML5 markup language was first introduced to the public. It was the fifth and final major HTML version update as per World Wide Web Consortium(W3C) recommendation. This markup is used to structure and define rules for displaying content on the Internet as web pages. In this major update support for video elements was introduced to support HTML5 video streaming through HTML video controls and elements, easy readability and backward compatibility.

HTML5 introduces native support for multimedia content, including video, which means that videos can be embedded and played directly in web browsers without the need for external plugins or third-party software like Adobe Flash. To add support for HTML5 video streaming, multimedia elements like < video > and < audio > were introduced. They were introduced with additional features like that of Javascript API to add more interactivity and control over the HTML elements and handle.

Benefits of HTML5 Video Player

• Native Browser Support: It is supported natively by all modern web browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. This means users do not need to install additional software to view videos.
• Use of the <video> Tag: HTML5 introduces the <video> tag, which simplifies the process of embedding video content into web pages. This tag supports various attributes and API support to control the behavior and appearance of the video player.
• Format Compatibility: The HTML5 video player supports multiple video formats, though the most commonly used are MP4 (using H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec), WebM, and Ogg. The support for these formats varies across different browsers. Check the below table for more information.
• Accessibility and Customization: HTML5 video players can be easily customized and controlled using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This allows for the creation of accessible players with custom controls, styles, and behavior.
• Mobile Compatibility: HTML5 video players are compatible with mobile devices and tablets, providing a seamless video experience across different devices and screen sizes.
• API and Interactivity: HTML5 provides a rich set of APIs for controlling video playback programmatically, enabling developers to build interactive and dynamic video experiences.
• Streaming Capabilities: While HTML5 video players support progressive download by default, they can also be used for streaming video content using additional technologies like Media Source Extensions (MSE) and Encrypted Media Extensions (EME).
• Subtitles and Closed Captions: The player supports subtitles and closed captions, making it accessible to a wider range of audiences, including those with hearing impairments.
• Cross-platform Compatibility: Ensures a consistent viewing experience across various devices and browsers. Such cross-platform compatibility allows low-end browsers and devices to perform optimally for enhanced user experience.
• Reduced Dependence on Third-party Plugins: Decreases load times and increases security.
• Enhanced User Experience: Provides smoother playback and more interactive features without a need of third party installation.
• SEO Benefits: As part of a website’s content, videos can contribute to search engine optimization by providing relevant content to the visiting user.

HTML5 Player advantage over Flash

Flash-based players have become obsolete now and HTML5 video players have become the new industry standard. An HTML5 video offers several advantages over Flash Player, such as:

Top 20 HTML5 Video Players

1. VdoCipher

This player is the best having all the advanced features an html5 video player must have. It provides DRM encryption for secure video streaming. It uses Dash as an open-source base to build the DRM-encrypted playback in an online video player.

The player supports functionalities like Multiple quality options, Adaptive playback, Responsive design, Multi-lingual subtitles, Forward/Rewind options, and various player themes in different colors. You can create your custom video player now using Vdocipher player, change the complete appearance, and edit controls as per your need.

2. Plyr

Plyr is a simple, lightweight, and customizable player. It offers support for HTML Vimeo and YouTube players. It is popular in both experts and beginners circles for its lightweight configuration that enables smooth processing for large video files. Plyr intuitively makes things easier with useful elements that help seamless project completion.

Features of Plyr include accessibility (offers full support for VTT captions and screen readers), a lightweight player that does not occupy a lot of space on the server, several customization options, responsiveness to fit any screen size, support for streaming and audio formats.

3. Video.js

A free and open-source player, Video.js offers basic playback options and cross-browser compatibility. VideoJS uses JavaScript to plug cross-browser inconsistencies, ensuring your content appears in the best light. It can also add support for HTML5 tags on older IE versions, and introduce functionalities such as subtitles and full-screen displays.

Other standout features can be introduced in VideoJS with the help of plugins. You can track Google Analytics ever right from the player, add your branding in the player controls, and introduce Chromecast support.

4. Projekktor

A self-hosted, open-source player, Projekktor manages compatibility and cross-browser issues effectively. Projekktor effectively manages all compatibility issues and cross-browser issues while offering a set of powerful features.

The key features of this HTML5 video player are automatic detection of the best way to play your favorite video, its impressive and attractive aesthetics and user-friendly behavior, consistent performance and high reliability.

5. jPlayer

This free, open-source media library is extensible and supports cross-platform video and audio integration.jPlayer allows quick weaving of cross-platform video and audio into your website pages through a jQuery plugin. Its holistic API supports innovative media solutions as the active and engaging open-source community around jPlayer extends support.

You can seamlessly install a package for PHP to download all components and install the required files into the specific path for installation.

6. MediaElement.js

This is a jQuery plugin that enables you to use the video tag with a single H.264 file. If your online media player does not support HTML5, MediaElementJS will replace the online media player with a Flash or Silverlight-based one. Everyone can contribute to improving this product as it’s free and open-source. This player offers a consistent HTML5 API for both Flash and HTML5, making it versatile. It supports audio and video files and can also play YouTube videos.

7. Flowplayer

Known for its ease of use, Flowplayer supports MP4 and FLV formats and offers automated checking of video encoding for logged-in administrators. You can apply branding at the end and the start of the videos. Moreover, users can enjoy unlimited instances on a single page.

A few other features include Google Analytics, Subtitles, Slow motion, Native fullscreen, Keyboard shortcuts, Random seeking, Retina ready, Cuepoints, and so on, without the use of expensive plugins.

8. Kaltura Player

Known for its extensive features, Kaltura Player is suitable for educational and enterprise-level use. It offers analytics, accessibility features, and a wide range of plugins.

Features include multi-platform support, robust performance, and advertising and analytics capabilities (it supports several ad formats such as VAST 3.0 and integrated plugins for video ad networks, such as Tremor Video, AdapTV, Eye Wonder, Ad Tech, DoubleClick DFP, and so on).

9. Elite

Elite Video Player is a fully customizable video player for WordPress that offers advertising support. The responsive HTML5 video player offers playback for platforms such as Vimeo, YouTube, Google Drive, and self-hosting videos (only mp4).

A few standout features of Elite Video Player online include YouTube 360 VR and live streaming support, Google Drive and Open load videos, advertising with pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll ads, video ads, popup ads, and so on.

10. Afterglow

A lightweight, easy-to-use HTML5 video player, Afterglow initializes automatically after the page loads and supports responsive design, ensuring compatibility with different device sizes. A few standout features of Afterglow are its cross-browser compatibility (works on all major browsers and devices and supports IE down to IE9), drop-in replacement, full responsiveness (fits into your design perfectly), and resolution switching capabilities (offers an easy way to serve your videos in HD and SD).

11. Ultimate Video Player

Ultimate Video Player is another responsive audio and video player that supports Vimeo and YouTube videos. It needs an mp4 or mp3 format. The video player can work on mobile devices as well as desktop regardless of the browser used.

12. JW Player

JW Player accommodated support for HTML5 video playback. The online media player is fully customizable with a wide range of features that enhance the accessibility of content and responsiveness of HTML5 videos.

JW Player offers a complete suite of HTML5 video controls. It is also compatible as an alternative to YouTube’s video player. JW Player also supports a wide range of user-defined themes. Its plugins are consistent with the more popular CMS system, making it easier and quicker to integrate.

13. Sublime Video

This player is designed to provide a smooth video playback experience with support for high-resolution videos and responsive layout.

14. Clappr

A flexible HTML5 media player that offers support for HLS, DASH, and other media formats. It is customizable with plugins and has a user-friendly interface.

15. Elmedia Player

Elmedia video player can play all kinds of videos. This Mac OS online media player can allow users to showcase videos from popular sites such as Dailymotion, Vimeo, Facebook, and more. Also, you can allow users to download these videos fro your website. Elmedia can play video online in formats such as M4V, MKV, MP3, DAT, MOV, HTML5, and more.

Standout features of Elmedia HTML5 video player include online video showcasing capabilities, support for hardware acceleration, capturing screenshots from the videos, SWF support, video downloading options, and capabilities to extract audio files from the video.

16. Dailymotion Player

This player is known for its robustness and is used widely for embedding Dailymotion videos. It supports various customization options and video analytics.

17. Chameleon HTML5 Video Player

Chameleon HTML5 player comes with a backup for Flash. Internet Explorer does not support the full-screen experience we are so used to. Features include two skins to choose from, a custom right-click menu with an option to add a copyright link, social sharing options, responsiveness, retina display for MacBook Pro, and more.

18. Ziggeo

This is an innovative video player website focused on video recording and playback with robust API features for customization and integration.

19. Video for Everybody

This is one of the earliest solutions for embedding HTML5 and Flash videos and is also simplistic in its feature set and usability. It comprises a fundamental set of markups that use HTML5 and its capability to move to the next supported object if the current one fails. This means it uses the <video> element to enclose each HTML5 video container source.

It falls back to Flash if the browser does not support HTML5. Features include a bunch of custom controls, support for iPhone and iPad, WebM video support, and more. Video for Everybody video player does not support JavaScript or Browser sniffing.

20. THEOplayer

This player is known for its universal compatibility across browsers and devices, offering a consistent viewing experience with adaptive streaming.

Basic HTML5 Video Player Sample Code

This player will include basic controls like play, pause, and volume control, which are provided natively by the browser.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

    <title>Basic HTML5 Video Player</title>

</head>

<body>

<video width="640" height="360" controls>

    <source src="path_to_your_video.mp4" type="video/mp4">

    <source src="path_to_your_video.ogg" type="video/ogg">

    Your browser does not support the video tag.

</video>

</body>

</html>

Basic HTML5 Video Player Controls

Basic controls get initiated by using the controls attributes within the video tag as we used in the previous example. It is a boolean attribute and specifies the display of video controls like play,pause,seek, etc as symbols over the video player. It displays the following controls as per their availability.

• Play
• Pause
• Seek
• Fullscreen toggle
• Volume
• Alternate Audio Track (when available)
• Captions/Subtitles (when available)

Must have Features in HTML5 Video Player

• Play/Pause Control: This is typically done by accessing the play() and pause() methods of the video element.
• Volume and Mute Control: Adjusting the volume or muting by modifying the volume property of the video element or using the muted property.
• Seeking and Time Control: A good player should allow seeking to a specific point in the video or retrieving the current playback position.
• Playback Speed Adjustment: Users should be able to control the speed of video playback (e.g., faster or slower).
• Fullscreen Toggle: The ability to switch between fullscreen and normal mode.
• Loading and Buffering Control: player should be able to handle video loading, buffering events, and error handling, providing feedback to the user or taking specific actions when necessary.
• Subtitles and Captions Management: Allows users to enable, disable, or switch between different text tracks (subtitles or captions) available in the video element.
• Adaptive Streaming and Quality Control: The player must be capable enough to switch between different video qualities based on network conditions saving the bandwidth and improving user experience.
• Integration with External Services and Analytics: a video player must be capable enough to send user based video analytics to the client for data based improvements.
• Chapters: To split your video in different sections, making it easier for users to jump to a specific part
• Auto Resume: With auto resume, your videos resume playing from where you left off the playback last time.
• Offline Download: To download videos on mobile devices to watch offline securely on the app video player.
• Light-weight: super light so that it loads very fast, improving your SEO.
• Picture In Picture mode: To watch your videos in a floating window while you access other applications.
• Keyboard shortcuts: So that users can use keyboard shortcuts with smart video player to pause, play and forward video.
• Gestures: Use gestures like tap, double tap, and swipe on the mobile app video player.
• DRM Protection: to protect your video so that no plugin or hack can download your video.
• Dynamic Watermarking: to discourage any screen capture of your videos.

Free Video Player vs Custom Video Player

Protect your Video Content with VdoCipher Secure Video Player

If you have gone through the must have features list and compared that with what you get in a free or open source video player, we believe you won’t be willing to spare any. With VdoCipher’s Hollywood Grade DRM Protected Video Streaming you can protect your videos from hackers and downloaders.

As a video player, we have got a smart video player for all platforms with SDKs for React Native, Android, iOS, Flutter, JS and plugins for moodle and WordPress. It is a fully customizable video player which can be altered by using GUI editor. You can change the appearance of the video player and control every button without a single line of code. In addition, you can search within captions in the custom video player to quickly go to a point in time of video. Use the full VTT spec to style the text to your needs. Also, do not forget that with dynamic watermarking you can put a text overlay on the app video player to display user information such as ip, email address, user id etc on the video.

FAQs

Can you play mp4 using an HTML5 video player?

MP4 file format or MPEG-4 playback is supported by all browsers and is also used in video cameras and other video media Hardware. The HTML5 media player also supports WebM and Ogg formats.

Is it possible to stream audio via an HTML5 player?

Yes, audio can be streamed on an HTML5 video player and can also be separated from the video for handling buffers or adding additional capabilities via JavaScript.

Do HTML5 video players support advanced encryption like DRM?

Yes, these players support dynamic key exchange mechanisms and encryption like DRM for the best video protection. But the player needs customization to handle the encryption and playback.

Vishal Sharma

My expertise focuses on DRM encryption, CDN technologies, and streamlining marketing campaigns to drive engagement and growth. At VdoCipher, I’ve significantly enhanced digital experiences and contributed to in-depth technical discussions in the eLearning, Media, and Security sectors, showcasing a commitment to innovation and excellence in the digital landscape.

The post Top 20 HTML5 Video Player For Your Website in 2024 appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Flash-based players have become obsolete now and HTML5 video players have become the new industry standard. For facilitating seamless integration on your website, we suggest the best video players for you in this article. These media players offer an advanced marketing toolkit to you that helps you reach your business goals.

But, before we do that, let’s look at what an HTML5 video player does.

What is an Online Video Player?

HTML5 Video Player is a library of JavaScript that builds HTML controls over the top of the HTML5 video element. This provides a uniform look between different browsers.

HTML5 online video players allow you to play video online directly in a web browser without the use of additional plugins. Some time ago, we installed a Flash media player to stream videos. But, HTML5 video players offer an easy way to integrate native video players on your website. While you can still embed YouTube videos, here’s a more handy way to showcase videos to your visitors, whether you are a personal trainer creating exercise demo videos or an influencer making a funny video.

HTML5 video players only need you to use the video element. Set the width and height for the video size and control attributes to add functions such as play and pause or set up the video to play automatically.

Most sophisticated browsers now support HTML5 videos, so online video playing is now more comfortable both on desktop and mobile screens.

Should you go with a propriety media player or one that’s open-source and free?

Open-Source Online Video Player vs Propriety Media Player

Open source players offer some degree of advantage over those you need to purchase licenses.

Cost

Open-source html5 video players are free for you to use. You can even evaluate and review their source code.

Propriety media players often come at a premium price. But you’d get a lot of options of features and integrations which would otherwise take considerable development cost on your end.

Bugs

Popular open-source solutions tend to have fewer bugs and faster fixes because of the community support they come with.

For propriety solutions, you can reach out to the team concerned and let them fix the problem for you. This is why before choosing a propriety solution you should check if they have good customer support.

Customization

Open-source products have a high potential for customization. Almost everything you see is customizable, so the tool can be tailored to meet your unique needs. You get access to free and instant support from a global community of developers and enthusiasts who are more than happy to assist the users of their solution.

For propriety online media players, you may not get much control over the customization as you’re buying the finished product. But these often come preloaded with features and themes which will make it much easier to tinker with.

Support

With open-source HTML5 video players, you get proper documentation, wikis, newsgroups, and email lists, as well as an option for a live chat whenever you face a glitch.

With propriety online media players, you get the support of the team you bought the services from. They’ll take care of your issues without the hassle of going through multiple documentation, videos, etc. This is ideal for people who are not tech-savvy or have low bandwidth.

Top 17 Online Video Players

Next, let’s look at the top online video players that support HTML5 playback.

1. Video.js

VideoJS is a free and open-source online video player that includes features such as basic playback options such as autoplay and preload. VideoJS uses JavaScript to plug cross-browser inconsistencies, ensuring your content appears in the best light. It can also add support for HTML5 tags on older IE versions, and introduce functionalities such as subtitles and full-screen displays.

Other standout features can be introduced in VideoJS with the help of plugins. You can track Google Analytics ever right from the player, add your branding in the player controls, and introduce Chromecast support.

2. VdoCipher 

Vdocipher provides an HTML5 video player with the added advantage of DRM encryption technology to secure videos and stop video piracy by preventing them from being downloaded/pirated. It uses Dash as an open-source base to build the DRM-encrypted playback in an online video player.

The player supports functionalities like Multiple quality options, Adaptive playback, Responsive design, Multi-lingual subtitles, Forward/Rewind options, and various player themes in different colors. You can create your custom video player now using Vdocipher player, change the complete appearance, and edit controls as per your need.

With some added scripts, you can also add CTAs like buttons/forms, etc over the VdoCipher player. A free 30-day trial is available at vdocipher.com.

Vdocipher also provides you with secure video hosting allowing you to stream your videos most smoothly and securely. It is ideal for anyone looking to build a video platform.

3. Flowplayer

Flowplayer is a free and easy-to-use alternative to convert FLV or MP4 videos to pages and posts. Along with MP4 movies, Flowplayer also provides protection on mobile devices. It helps in the automated checking of video encoding for logged-in administrators. You can apply branding at the end and the start of the videos. Moreover, users can enjoy unlimited instances on a single page.

A few other features include Google Analytics, Subtitles, Slow motion, Native fullscreen, Keyboard shortcuts, Random seeking, Retina ready, Cuepoints, and so on, without the use of expensive plugins. It also comes with video intelligence and video ads support, full support for Amazon S3 and other CDNs, Flash fallback, and high efficiency.

4. Projekktor online video player

Projekktor is a self-hosted environment available as an open-source online javascript video player. It was released under GPLv3 and is written using JavaScript. Projekktor effectively manages al compatibility issues and cross-browser issues while offering a set of powerful features.

The key features of this HTML5 video player are automatic detection of the best way to play your favorite video, its impressive and attractive aesthetics and user-friendly behavior, consistent performance and high reliability.

Projekktor library features also include pre-roll and post-roll ads, Flash fallback with RTMP support, playlist building, and true fullscreen.

5. jPlayer

jPlayer is a free and open-source media library written in JavaScript. jPlayer allows quick weaving of cross-platform video and audio into your website pages through a jQuery plugin. Its holistic API supports innovative media solutions as the active and engaging open-source community around jPlayer extends support.

You can seamlessly install a package for PHP to download all components and install the required files into the specific path for installation.

Features of jPlayer include easy installation, comprehensive documentation, extensible architecture and cross-browser support, plugins, custom skin options, and so on.

6. Plyr

Plyr is a lightweight, simple, and customizable online video player. It offers support for HTML Vimeo and YouTube players. It is popular in both experts and beginners circles for its lightweight configuration that enables smooth processing for large video files. Plyr intuitively makes things easier with useful elements that help seamless project completion.

Features of Plyr include accessibility (offers full support for VTT captions and screen readers), a lightweight player that does not occupy a lot of space on the server, several customization options, responsiveness to fit any screen size, support for streaming and audio formats.

7. Afterglow

Afterglow is simple to integrate HTML5 video player with features that can be turned off, so you are not forced to use them. It is a configurable, self-integrating, open-source online video player that can be nicely recorded. 

A few standout features of Afterglow are its cross-browser compatibility (works on all major browsers and devices and supports IE down to IE9), drop-in replacement, full responsiveness (fits into your design perfectly), and resolution switching capabilities (offers an easy way to serve your videos in HD and SD).

Another great thing about this online media player is a nice wizard that helps with direct integration. If you let them know where you want to host your videos, they will give you the steps containing scripts.

8. MediaElement.js

This is a jQuery plugin that enables you to use the video tag with a single H.264 file. If your online video player does not support HTML5, MediaElementJS will replace the online media player with a Fash or Silverlight-based one. Everyone can contribute to improving this product as it’s free and open-source.

It supports the more standard and desirable features such as standard play controls, fullscreen video display, skinning, and also has a plugin architecture to support unique features. These sophisticated features include auto-translation (with Google Translate), jump forward, skip back, looping, post-roll (showcasing custom HTML after a video ends), and virtual backlight that frames the video with matching colors taken from it during playback (a feature available only with HTML5 video player).

9. JW Player

JW Player accommodated support for HTML5 video playback. The online media player is fully customizable with a wide range of features that enhance the accessibility of content and responsiveness of HTML5 videos.

JW Player offers a complete suite of HTML5 video controls. It is also compatible as an alternative to YouTube’s online video player. JW Player also supports a wide range of user-defined themes. Its plugins are consistent with the more popular CMS system, making it easier and quicker to integrate.

This online media player also boasts of sophisticated analytics features that allow users to see how well their video content is performing on the website, enabled password-protected sharing, schedule ads, create video gallery, and more. Other features include add-ons ranging from closed captioning to advertising tie-ups, social sharing options, and so on. 

11. Video for Everybody

This is one of the earliest solutions for embedding HTML5 and Flash videos and is also simplistic in its feature set and usability. It comprises of a fundamental set of markups that use HTML5 and its capability to move to the next supported object if the current one fails. This means it uses the <video> element to enclose each HTML5 video container source.

It falls back to Flash if the browser does not support HTML5. Features include a bunch of custom controls, support for iPhone and iPad, WebM video support, and more. Video for Everybody online video player does not support JavaScript or Browser sniffing.

11. Kaltura player

Kaltura HTML5 video player is a free and open-source online video player. It is used to create multiple customized inter-browser and inter-device skins to match or complement your site. Kaltura online video player also comes with a lot of player templates.

Features include multi-platform support, robust performance, and advertising and analytics capabilities (it supports several ad formats such as VAST 3.0 and integrated plugins for video ad networks, such as Tremor Video, AdapTV, Eye Wonder, Ad Tech, DoubleClick DFP, and so on).

12. Elite

Elite Video Player is a fully customizable online video player for WordPress that offers advertising support. The responsive HTML5 video player offers playback for platforms such as Vimeo, YouTube, Google Drive, and self-hosting videos (only mp4).

A few standout features of Elite Video Player include YouTube 360 VR and live streaming support, Google Drive and Open load videos, advertising with pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll ads, video ads, popup ads, and so on. 

The responsiveness of this online video player makes it an instant choice for users accessing sites through their mobile devices.

13. Ultimate Video Player

Ultimate Video Player is another responsive audio and video player that supports Vimeo and YouTube videos. It needs an mp4 or mp3 format. The online video player can work on mobile devices as well as desktop regardless of the browser used. 

Features of the Ultimate Video Player include encryption capabilities for video source or path to avoid users from seeing the source of the video, optimization for mobile devices and desktop, multiple video quality support and a video quality selector, password-protected videos, live streaming support, support for 360-degree or VR-based videos, subtitles selector, playback speed selector, branding options, and video download options.

As opposed to the other open-source and free HTML5 video players shared in this article, this one comes at a price of $49 for six-months support.

14. Elmedia Player

Elmedia online video player can play all kinds of videos. This Mac OS online media player can allow users to showcase videos from popular sites such as Dailymotion, Vimeo, Facebook, and more. Also, you can allow users to download these videos fro your website. Elmedia can play video online in formats such as M4V, MKV, MP3, DAT, MOV, HTML5, and more.

Standout features of Elmedia HTML5 video player include an online video showcasing capabilities, support for hardware acceleration, capturing screenshots from the videos, SWF support, video downloading options, and capabilities to extract audio files from the video.

15. Chameleon HTML5 Video Player

Chameleon HTML5 player comes with a backup for Flash. Internet Explorer does not support the full-screen experience we are so used to. Also, in order to view HTML5 in IE, you might need to produce extra videos since the browser does not encourage the mp4 file sort.

Chameleon addresses these challenges through its instinctive Flash backup. Features include two skins to choose from, a custom right-click menu with an option to add a copyright link, social sharing options, responsiveness, retina display for MacBook Pro, and more.

16. Cloudinary video player

This HTML5 video player is primarily aimed for use by enterprises and businesses. The web video player is optimized for best-in-class viewer experience and supports high-quality, high-resolution videos and adaptive streaming. 

Cloudinary stands apart from these names for its functionality to offer video encoding, hosting service, and manipulation service for video assets. The transformations to the video that you choose happen at the player level, and on the fly. The web video player contains lightweight, user-friendly embed codes that allow for seamless integration of the HTML video player to an organization’s website.

Furthermore, Cloudinary’s built-in video analytics offer insights and actionable data on viewer engagement and interaction, besides video performance in terms of conversion rates.

17. WordPress Video Gallery 

This is one of the simplest online video players available with the ability to make creative videos on any website page using interactive and intuitive shortcut commands. Users can process their video assets with unique custom post settings and then distributed videos can be brought up at once using shortcut keys.

WordPress Video Gallery is a responsive and customizable tool as it facilitates the screen to shrink to manage mobile device displays. A few of its incredible features include preloading videos, managing the gallery, controlling size variations, and setting initial image or thumbnail.

HTML5 Player advantage over Flash

An HTML5 video offers several advantages over Flash Player, such as:

• Less Complexity – You can create a single-player solution for desktop and mobile web view.
• Happier Viewers – Due to the small size of the player code the webpage loads faster and allows a shorter start time of playback.
• More Power – In comparison to a Flash player, an HTML5 player uses very less CPU and storage resources resulting in reduced battery consumption on laptops with native playback support
• Lower Costs – When using advanced codecs, an HTML5 player has lower distribution and storage costs.
• Broad device support – It is supported with billions of endpoints for all the latest devices and browsers
• DRM Support – HTML5 video is a viable platform for premium content as it offers DRM-encrypted playback.
• Adaptive streaming – To cater to users with varying bandwidth needs, adaptive bitrate streaming makes data usage economical with a better user experience.
• Next-Generation Video Compression – HTML5 video supports next-generation video compression like VP9 codec, which can reduce the video bit rates by as much as 45% compared to H.264.
• Switch has already been made – Major sites (Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, YouTube) have already switched to HTML5 video players for better control and viewing experience.

Key Feature Comparison

Technology Comparison

What Features Matter the most in an HTML5 Video Player?

When selecting an HTML5 video player, there are a few features that can be vital for your business. Here are the important features you need to look for.

Player Performance 

While choosing an HTML5 video player, you need to look into the fact there aren’t any issues with video playback. There shouldn’t be any buffering issues or other playback-related errors. Also, look into the performance and speed of the video player. Player needs to have a fast loading time and a good user experience.

Customization of Video Player Controls

Branding is very important, choose a player that allows you to customize the player to suit your brand. Customization should include changing the player controls and colors of the player to suit your brand. 

Other features you need to look out for are chapters for navigation, search through the transcription, and much more.

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming

A lot of your users would be from areas with lower internet speeds. This would cause a lot of issues if you were only streaming high-quality videos. To tackle this problem, a lot of online video players provide adaptive bitrate streaming, which ensures your video scales according to the internet bandwidth and there is no buffering. 

DRM Protection

DRM encryption ensures your content is protected and cannot be illegally downloaded. Choose an online video player which provides DRM, to make sure that your content can not be pirated.  Other security features like Dynamic watermarking, Playintegrity integration, and user-based security analytics are also important.

Cross-browser Compatibility

Every browser and device you want to stream might have a different player associated with it. So building a player is not just about a single player but a different player for each of these situations, and making sure that users get the same experience in all of them. Whether the user is streaming on the web, iOS, android, react native, or Flutter, your user’s experience shouldn’t be compromised.

Wrapping It Up

These online HTML5 video players are widely used over the Internet by various companies and individuals to embed videos on their site. 

Integrating videos on your website gives your website and the page a unique appeal, enhances the quality of the content on your page, and offers a visual break from the text. You might want to use videos on your website to add to the content already offered, give your users an introduction about your offerings, or integrate customer feedback and review videos for added credibility.

Therefore, it is time you choose one of these popular HTML5 video payers to show awesome videos on your website and augment the value offered.

Find out more about on how to prevent video download on the blog linked. We’ve also written a blog on how to stream videos on iOS using AVPlayer, do check it out to know more about video streaming in iOS.

FAQs

What are the benefits of using an open video player?

There are several benefits of using an open video player. Firstly, open video players are usually free to download and use. Secondly, they support various video formats, making them versatile and convenient. Also, most open video players offer advanced features, such as the ability to play videos online in full-screen mode or to fast-forward and rewind.

What are some of the benefits of using an HTML5 video player?

Custom HTML5 video players are that they are typically faster and more lightweight than other video players, they can be customized to match the look and feel of your website, and support a variety of video formats.

What is the need for an HTML5 video player?

HTML5 is the newest version of the HTML standard, and it includes new features that allow video to be played natively in web browsers. Video files are typically encoded in the H.264 or WebM format, and HTML5 video players will usually support both of these formats.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Top 17 Online Video Player in 2024 For Your Website appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

In this article, we will discuss major methods of embedding video files in an HTML document. The methods are easy enough, and most often, they require copying and pasting of an HTML string. These strings are available through your sharing snippet that either contains a video tag or an iframe tag. We will discuss about both methods of using a video tag and an iframe tag with their features and attributes.

Embed Video in HTML using < Video > tag

The < video > embed element in HTML is used to embed a video file into an HTML document. The HTML video element shows a video on a web page without the requirement of Flash Player, like additional plugins. After implementing HTML5, embedding videos to a web page became as easy as adding an image. Although the data in the video element is supposed to be video, you can also add images and audio. The content is written in between the opening < video > and closing < /video > tags.

Web browsers commonly supported video formats are mp4, WebM and Ogg. The < video > tag contains < source > tags that contain different video sources. The browser picks the one it supports. For example, different video sizes for iPad and retina displays can be provided with different source URLs. This can be seen in the below code snippet:

Syntax:

< video src=”video.webm” type=”video/webm” controls >
< /video >

Or

< video controls >
< source src=”movie.mp4″ type=”video/mp4″ >
< source src=”movie.ogg” type=”video/ogg” >
< /video >

Note: < source > tag is an empty tag. There is no need to close it except in the case of XHTML.

Attributes of video element for embedding in HTML

There are three attributes which get mainly used with < video > tag namely, “src”, “controls” and “type”.

src – This attribute gets used to specify the source URL of the video. It specifies the URL or video file location to embed.

If you are not using the ‘src’ attribute of the video tag, then you need to use the < source > tag with its ‘src’ attribute to specify the source URL. The additional benefit a < source > tag provides is of having different source URLs for different display sizes and video types.

< video controls >
< source src=”movie-1080p.mp4″ type=”video/mp4″ >
< source src=”movie-480p.mp4″ type=”video/mp4″ >
< /video >

type – This attribute specifies one of the three supported video format types. Similar to the ‘src’ attribute, this attribute can also be specified with the < source > tag and have multiple types.

controls – The controls attribute displays player controls supported by browsers. If this attribute is not used, the player won’t display any controls, not even pause and play. If specified, the browse will offer video controls to the user, such as volume, play, pause, resume playback and more.

Other attributes:

autoplay – A boolean expression, when specified, automatically starts the video as soon as the data has finished loading.

The automatic video playback (mostly with an audio track) when a visitor visits a website is not liked by many and is often considered a bad user experience. Some browsers like Chrome70.0 allow autoplay only when the muted attribute is present.

To autoplay a video with muted audio, add ‘muted’ after ‘autoplay’.

< video width=”340″ height=”260″ autoplay muted >

preload – This attribute gives the author the freedom to hint to the browser whether to download the video or the metadata or not to load the video when the page loads the first time. The attribute allows 3 values to pass:

• none – The video will not be preloaded. The video content part of the page will be displayed as a blank region on the screen.
• metadata – Only the video metadata (height, width, duration etc) is fetched before the user starts video playback
• auto – The entire video is downloaded irrespective of user interest. The auto request can be ignored by the browser.

Note: The autoplay attribute can override the preload. The preload attribute is just a hint for the browser. 

loop – A boolean expression, when specified, plays the video again once the playback has come to end.

height – Sets the video display area height.

width – Sets the video display area width.

muted – A boolean attribute to initially mute the audio in a video. If set to ‘false’, the audio will play when the video starts.

poster – A preview image that is shown when the video is loading or until the time user hits the play button. If the attribute is not specified, nothing is displayed till the time the first video frame is available. The first frame then becomes the poster frame.

Embed Video in HTML using < iframe > tag

The <iframe> HMTL element specifies an inline frame containing independent HTML. With this frame, you can embed another HTML page or external URL into the current page (parent page). Commonly it is used to embed videos, external ads, maps and other media. You can even use iframe to embed videos in wordpress.

The content is referenced in the ‘src’ attribute of each element, which makes it a completely independent resource in reference to the current document.

The embedded document or Video behaves like it is a part of the current page, and you can interact with it. The HTML document may have separate CSS or JavaScript, which is refreshed and loaded separately from the parent site whenever the web browser parses the iframe tag.

Here is an example of a YouTube video embed code using an iframe element. The <iframe> tag below would load a 560x315px player, which will play the YouTube video id ‘M7lc1UVf-VE’. The below embed code from YouTube also uses the ‘allow’ parameter to specify multiple features like autoplay, picture-in-picture, etc.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ loading=”lazy” src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/M7lc1UVf-VE” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>

How an iframe loads a video element?

Once an < iframe > element is placed with a ‘src’ attribute, it will start loading the HTML content of the source URL. The HTML content will load with a < video > element containing the source or blob URL of the video. For example, the above YouTube iframe embed code will eventually unfold to,

< html >
< head >< /head >
< body >
…… < video >…..< /video >
< /body >
< /html >

Attributes of iframe element for Video embed in HTML

allow – specifies the feature policy of the <iframe>. The policy is used to define features available to the <iframe> based on the request origin. The allow attribute values are the following features which can be used as per need.

• accelerometer
• ambient-light-sensor
• autoplay
• battery
• camera
• display-capture
• document-domain
• encrypted-media
• execution-while-not-rendered
• execution-while-out-of-viewport
• fullscreen
• gamepad
• geolocation
• gyroscope
• layout-animations
• legacy-image-formats
• magnetometer
• microphone
• midi
• navigation-override
• oversized-images
• payment
• picture-in-picture
• publickey-credentials-get
• speaker-selection
• sync-xhr
• unoptimized-images ExperimentalNon-Standard
• unsized-media ExperimentalNon-Standard
• usb
• screen-wake-lock
• web-share
• xr-spatial-tracking

allowfullscreen – when set true, activates full screen via requestFullscreen() method.

height – defines frame height in CSS pixels. The default value is 150

weight – defines frame width in CSS pixels. The default value is 300

name – name for the embedded browsing context.

allowpaymentrequest – is set to true, a cross-origin <iframe> is allowed to invoke Payment Request API

loading – specifies how the web browser should load iframe

• eager: immediately load the iframe
• lazy: defer iframe loading as defined by the browser (upon reaching a calculated distance from the viewport).

sandbox – applies a set of restrictions for the iframe content. The attribute value is either empty for applying all restrictions or space-separated tokens to lift particular restrictions.

srcdoc – defines the HTML content of the page to show in the <iframe>

The <iframe> tag supports Global and Event attributes in HTML. Few events triggered by media are ‘onabort’, ‘oncanplay’, ‘ondurationchange’, ‘onplay’, ‘onvolumechange’ and more.

Responsive Video Embedding in HTML5

In today’s digital landscape, where users access websites on a wide range of devices and screen sizes, ensuring that your embedded videos adapt seamlessly to different screens is paramount. Responsive video embedding not only improves user experience but also contributes to higher engagement and better SEO rankings. Here’s how you can achieve responsive video embedding and optimize the viewing experience for all users. This can be achieved through the following techniques,

1. Using Width and Height Properties

A simple way to make the <video> element responsive is to set its width property to 100% and height to auto. This allows the video player to scale up and down responsively:

3. Using Media Queries

Media queries enable you to apply specific styling and sizing rules to embedded videos based on the device’s screen width. This approach allows you to optimize the video layout for different breakpoints. For instance, you can adjust video dimensions, font sizes, and spacing to create a seamless viewing experience on smartphones, tablets, and desktops.

4. Using Viewport Units

Viewport units, denoted as vw (viewport width) and vh (viewport height), provide a dynamic way to set video dimensions as percentages of the screen’s viewport size. This approach ensures that videos maintain their proportions regardless of the user’s device. By using viewport units, you can create videos that scale smoothly from large monitors to small smartphone screens.

5. Using Aspect Ratio Padding

Maintaining the aspect ratio of embedded videos in HTML5 is crucial to prevent distortion and ensure a visually appealing viewing experience. Applying padding with a percentage-based value (padding-bottom) allows you to create a responsive aspect ratio for the video container. This technique ensures that the video retains its intended dimensions and appearance.

Vishal Sharma

My expertise focuses on DRM encryption, CDN technologies, and streamlining marketing campaigns to drive engagement and growth. At VdoCipher, I’ve significantly enhanced digital experiences and contributed to in-depth technical discussions in the eLearning, Media, and Security sectors, showcasing a commitment to innovation and excellence in the digital landscape.

The post How to Embed Video in HTML using iframe or video tag element appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Nowadays, third-party HTML5 players use javascript to create and modify HTML video elements and controls for advanced looks and features. This javascript is mainly provided as a CDN-hosted JS file with the iframe URL of the video or audio file. This is not only done to add features but majorly to make the appearance and functionality of the player consistent for all browsers. Otherwise, the default looks and functionalities of playback vary across browsers.

Introduction to HTML5 Video Streaming

HTML5 markup language was first introduced to the public on 22 January 2008. It was the fifth and final major HTML version update as per World Wide Web Consortium(W3C) recommendation. This markup is used to structure and define rules for displaying content on the Internet as web pages. It is currently maintained by a consortium of major browser vendors like Apple, Google, Mozilla, and Microsoft called Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG). The main goals of the HTML5 update were to support HTML5 video streaming through HTML video controls and elements, easy readability and backward compatibility.

It lets the web browsers and parsers consistently understand the defined markup, thus allowing better readability for humans and software. HTML5 processing models are more capable of extending the use of markup and also allows the use of APIs for complex web applications. The cross-platform infrastructure allows low-end devices and browsers to perform smoothly for enhanced user experience.

To add support for HTML5 video streaming, many new HTML multimedia elements like < video >, < audio > and < canvas > were introduced. They were introduced with additional features like that of Javascript API to add more interactivity and control over the HTML elements and handle. This makes the HTML5 streaming package more powerful and ubiquitous than flash players. You can make customizations to the video or audio stream, change the playback appearance, and even apply mathematical rules for computation. Apart from streaming, HTML5 also focused on semantics and introduced elements like <section>, <header>, <footer>, <article>, <aside>, <nav>, and <figure> for basic web page structuring and SEO.

What is an HTML Video Element?

< video > element was added to add support for HTML5 video streaming in all browsers supporting HTML in 2008. It was introduced with additional features like that of Javascript API to add more interactivity and control over the HTML elements and handle. The use and classification of the attributes have been discussed later, but here is the basic anatomy of a < video > tag syntactically,

< video src=”video.webm” type=”video/webm” controls >

< /video >

Or

< video controls >

< source src=”movie.mp4″ type=”video/mp4″ >

< source src=”movie.ogg” type=”video/ogg” >

< /video >

Note: < source > tag is an empty tag. There is no need to close it except in the case of XHTML.

Video Element Optional HTML Attributes

An < video > element contains the following attributes that are frequently used. Other event-based and global attributes have also been discussed with their use.

Video Element compatible Global Media Events HTML Attributes

The < video > tag also supports Global HTML Attributes and Events attributes triggered by media like videos, images, and audio. The following Media Events attributes apply to all HTML elements but are most commonly used with media elements, like <audio>, <embed>, <img>, <object>, and <video>. These event-based attributes trigger a javascript attached with the specific attributes, and a javascript’s next styling, calculation, etc steps get performed. That is why the value these attributes require is a script.

What are HTML Video Controls?

We discussed the attributes of < video > element and here we will discuss basic controls as well as controls for customizations we want to place over the defaults of the player.

Basic Controls

Basic controls get initiated by using the controls attributes within the video tag. It is a boolean attribute and specifies the display of video controls like play,pause,seek, etc as symbols over the video player. It displays the following controls as per their availability.

• Play
• Pause
• Seek
• Fullscreen toggle
• Volume
• Alternate Audio Track (when available)
• Captions/Subtitles (when available)

Custom Controls

Custom controls are added via event based or optional attributes with the support of javascript. You can even make complex HTML handlers to initiate a calculated action of play, seek, etc by combining functions of various methods and arrange them in logic to form a complex function. Custom controls are also necessary to provide homogeneity across browsers via javascript. Here is a basic example of creating custom controls via HTML and Javascript API.

// Adding Video Tag with multiple source

<video id = "myVideoObject">

<source src = "1920x1080.mp4">

</video>

 

// Adding the HTML buttons with ID

<button id = "playButton"> Play </button>

<button id = "pauseButton"> Pause </button>

 

// Adding the JavaScript to identify HTML elements

var myVideoObject = document.getElementById ("myVideoObject");

var playBtn = document.getElementById ("playButton");

var pauseBtn = document.getElementById ("pauseButton");

 

playButton.onclick = function () {

myVideoObject.play ();

}

 

pauseButton.onclick = function () {

myVideoObject.pause ();

}

Need of HTML Video Elements and Controls

Earlier, if you were to copy the video playback code of a video from YouTube, it used to be a < object > tag and used to look like this,

<object width="720" height="480">

<param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/8FHI1AUFJKk&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param>

<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>

<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>

<embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/8FHI1AUFJKk&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed>

</object>

It was a generic container for foreign objects like Flash movies. Browsers were more compatible with the < embed > tag to handle inconsistencies in the display styling. The object tag within the embed code used to carry various parameters but due to browser compatibility issues, the results were often a disrupted or unreadable player option. The plugins like flash and silverlight also inherited these issues and were not always able to match the browsers specifications due to being different technologies.

The HTML5 < video > element came as a good but not perfect fix for all these issues in 2008. It bought too many attributes and also the support of javascript API to handle dynamic controls over the player.

About Controls:

The basic controls are required for easy navigation across the video playback and custom controls provide homogeneity in styling and features across the devices. Nowadays, all open source and third party HTML5 players provide attached javascript with their embed code so that the player remains constant across devices and browsers.

Role of Javascript API to trigger Video Controls

Before taking about the Javascript API, let us look at the categorization of Media Elements which API provides,

• Methods like play() for reading the media
• Properties like currentTime to obtain or modify some time properties
• Events like timeupdate to trigger specific behavior for specific media events

The role which Javascript API plays can also be divided into two parts, one is writing javascript to control the player through attributes, and another is to instantiate those javascript methods with some added HTML elements. The HTML5 Javascript API has methods, properties, and events for <video> element. These allow you to control and modify default capabilities of <video> element and player using JavaScript. You can use the API to play video, pause it and play again at specific time using play() and pause() API methods.

For example:

var myVideoObject = document.getElementById ("myVideo");

myVideoObject.play()

myVideoObject.pause()

Similarly as objects, video elements also have several properties and events, like,

• currentTime : time at a given time in seconds
• duration : duration of the video file in seconds
• onplay : initiate a script when the media is ready to start playing

Sample styling of HTML Video Controls

You can change the appearance of various controls like play, pause, volume, etc through basic CSS for controls like,

.controls {

visibility: hidden;

opacity: 0.8;

width: 720px;

border-radius: 1px;

position: absolute;

bottom: 10px;

left: 90%;

background-color: blue;

transition: 2s all;

display: flex;

}

.player:hover .controls, player:focus .controls {

opacity: 0.8;

}

This CSS can be placed directly in the HTML document or can be imported via cloud hosted css link.

Need of Security for HTML5 Video Streaming

HTML5 video playback in itself does not have any default security. The basic encryption can be smartly cracked using any hack and softwares. Apart from strong encryption, we need the best key exchange mechanism so that it cannot be retrieved by any unauthorized user. What is now left is screen recording which can be addressed by additional watermarking features.

There are many open source codes available to apply encryption on HTML5 video playback through javascript. For example, the below Javascript code encrypts and decrypts your video files through a third party library.

var key = 'SUPER-SECRET-KEY';

var options = { algorithm: 'aes256' };

encryptor.encryptFile('myVideoObject.mp4', 'encrypted.dat', key, options, function(err) {

});

encryptor.decryptFile('encrypted.dat', 'outputfile.mp4', key, options, function(err) {

});

You can notice the key parameter in the above code, these keys are best secured at the hardware or OS level, which in today’s time is controlled by Google and Apple. This is the reason why normal video protection via javascript often fails. For reliable video security, the best possible way is through Google Widevine and Apple FairPlay license and set up of a DRM server. To help secure your videos, multi-DRM platforms like VdoCipher offer complete infrastructure at affordable pricing, saving coding requirements and capital investment.

FAQs

Do controls like play, pause, volume, etc, appear as default with HTML video element?

No, they do not display as default and can only be visible if you use the controls attribute with the video tag.

Do I need a plugin for HTML5 video playback?

No, after the introduction of video tag for HTML5 video playback, third-party plugins like flash or Silverlight are not required.

Why to use a Javascript file with an HTML5 third-party or open-source video player?

It is not mandatory to use the javascript file accompanied by a player. Still, in that case, you miss out on the added features and styling for different browsers, usually provided for homogeneity. This is why most players include a JS file with their embedded code. This JS file can sometimes be used to add Video SEO to the page or for security purposes.

Vishal Sharma

My expertise focuses on DRM encryption, CDN technologies, and streamlining marketing campaigns to drive engagement and growth. At VdoCipher, I’ve significantly enhanced digital experiences and contributed to in-depth technical discussions in the eLearning, Media, and Security sectors, showcasing a commitment to innovation and excellence in the digital landscape.

The post Using HTML Video Controls and Elements for HTML5 Video Streaming appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Open-source video players are software programs that allow users to playback video content on their devices. Many of these players are available for free download or use, and they often include features such as support for a variety of file formats, subtitles, and playback speed control.

There is a need for open-source video players because they are free and customizable. Open source video players can be modified to suit the needs of each user, which is not possible with commercial video players. Additionally, open-source video players often have more features than commercial players. These programs are open source, meaning that their source code is available for anyone to view and modify. This allows users to customize the players to their own needs and fix any bugs they may encounter.

Benefits of Open Source Video Players

There are many open-source video player benefits. Some of the most notable benefits include:

Increased flexibility – Open source video players are often more flexible than proprietary players. They are customizable to fit the specific needs of a given user or organization.

Greater control – Open source video players give users and organizations greater control over their media, as they can be modified and adapted to suit individual needs.

Increased security – Open source video players are often more secure than proprietary players, as they are typically more transparent and have fewer hidden code vulnerabilities.

Learning from the Best – Open source video players are an excellent way to learn from the best. For example, if you want to help your business grow, you can learn from the best business in that niche. You can apply what you have learned from the best business to your own business and grow.

Reduced costs – Open source video players are often more affordable than proprietary players, as they are often available at no cost or for a lower price.

Features of Open Source Video Players

Open-source video players have a lot of features that are not available in other video players. These features include:

• Ability to play a wide range of video formats
• Ability to play videos from online sources
• Availability of a large number of plugins that add additional functionality
• Ability to customize the player’s appearance and functionality
• Support for subtitle files
• Free and open-source software
• Online open-source video players can be easily enhanced and made interactive via javascript

Things To Consider When Selecting Open Source Video Players

When it comes to choosing a custom video player for your website, you have to consider some things. We have mentioned some things that you should consider before selecting an open-source video player for your website.

Mobile-Friendly – You should ensure that the player you select is mobile-friendly. This is important because people are watching videos from their mobile phones. So it would be best if you made sure that the player you select is mobile-friendly. This will ensure that your viewers can watch videos from their mobile phones.

Fast Loading – The next thing you should consider is that the video player you select should be fast loading. Most people will abandon a video if they have to wait too long. Most viewers will only wait a few seconds before they get bored and move on to the next video.

Accessible to Use – You should also ensure that the video player you select is easy to use. If you make it difficult for your viewers to use your video player, you will lose them.

Upgrades – The open-source video player software that you use can be updated regularly. The software developers will constantly fix bugs and update their software with new features. This ensures that you get the latest and greatest in the software.

Features – The last thing that you should consider is the video player’s features. The more features that the video player has, the better. You should pick a video player that has the features that you need.

Best HTML5 & Web Open Source Video Players

HTML5 video player is an HTML5-based video player that enables websites to embed video content using the < video > element. An HTML5 video player is a web video player that uses HTML5 video playback capabilities to play videos. HTML5 video playback capabilities include playing videos without needing a plugin such as Flash.

The HTML5 video player is the future of video on the web. These videos play in the browser without plugins such as Flash or Java. The HTML5 video player is native to the web and gives you full control over the video player.

Anyone who wants to use an HTML5 player should know that it is a simple video player developed using the latest technologies. The videos which are played on this video player are viewed in a web browser. The HTML5 video player is integrated into the page and allows the video content to be played directly from the web page without needing a flash player.

If you want to know how an HTML5 video player works, you must be aware that it is actually simple and relatively easy to maintain. You can easily embed the video player into your web page. This video player can also play videos directly from a website or a video directly from a storage device.

VdoCipher Smart HTML5 Video Player

VdoCipher offers a powerful, smart HTML5 video DRM video player to deliver the best viewing experience. Along with the customizable HTML5 video player, VdoCipher provides Hollywood-grade DRM encryption to secure videos and restrict video piracy. VdoCipher offers secure video hosting to stream videos safely and smoothly.

• Illegal Download Prevention
• Dynamic Watermarking
• Adaptive Multi-bitrate Playback
• Playback Speed Change (Dynamic controls to change playback speed and skip/rewind)
• Multi-Language Subtitles
• Multi-device HTML5 Player (for Desktops, and SDKs for iOS and Android)
• HD Streaming at low bitrates
• Secure Android App downloads to watch videos even when offline
• Pre-available 9 player themes
• Easy embed options using iFrame, plugins, and API
• Add CTAs with simple Script code
• Custom overlay and tracking
• Video analytics
• A free 30-day trial

Projeckktor

The Projeckktor video player is an open-source media player for the web. Projeckktor is an easy-to-use video player to embed into any website. It can play videos of any format, even videos that other media players do not usually support. This can be extremely useful for websites that run on flash or do not have their own media player. Projeckktor is a powerful, easy-to-use web video player that delivers video content to your website or blog.

• control all aspects of your video playback
• fully responsive and Automatic video playback
• built-in social media sharing tools
• Fullscreen video player
• Video quality selection
• Video playlist
• Subtitles support
• Loop videos

JPlayer

The jPlayer Plugin is a media player that allows you to play audio and video files on your website. It is a free and open-source plugin that is available for download on the jPlayer website. jPlayer is a media library for jQuery which takes advantage of HTML5 audio/video and Adobe® Flash® media capabilities. It can be easily customized via CSS and HTML and provides an extensive standard API for implementing web-based media regardless of platform.

• Customizable and skinnable using HTML and CSS
• Lightweight – only 14KB minified and Gzipped
• No licensing restrictions
• Free plugins available for popular platforms
• Extensive platform support – multi-codec, cross-browser and cross-platform
• Comprehensive documentation
• Consistent API and interface in all browsers, HTML5 or Adobe Flash

FFmpeg

FFmpeg is a complete, cross-platform solution to record, convert and stream audio and video. It includes libavcodec, the leading audio and video codec library. FFmpeg provides both a command-line interface and an API to manipulate multimedia files. It supports many common audio and video formats. Its main uses are transcoding, basic editing (trimming and concatenation), video scaling, video post-production effects, and standards compliance. FFmpeg is also a video player. FFmpeg also includes other tools: “ffplay,” a simple media player, and “ffprobe,” a command-line tool to display media information. There are two ways to play a video with FFmpeg. One through the command-line or via a GUI app that can run commands through it.

• Broadcast live stream a video feed
• Crop, scale or rotate a video file
• Adjust volume, remove audio and merge an audio file with a video file
• Adjust video bitrate
• Convert between different file formats and codecs

Best Open Source Javascript and Web Media Players

Video.js

Video.js is a free and open-source project which allows you to create HTML5 video players. This video player is written in JavaScript and built on the HTML5 video tag. It supports playback on various devices, including desktop computers, mobile devices, and televisions. When available, it uses native HTML5 elements and falls back to Flash or Silverlight as needed.

• Allows you to create a responsive video player.
• Compatible with all browsers and platforms.
• Lightweight plugin
• Multiple video formats supported, including MP4, WebM, and Ogg
• Automatic video playback when the page loads
• Customizable controls and interface
• A large community of developers. If you have any questions, you can find the answers quickly.
• It has YouTube, Vimeo, and Daily Motion support.
• Various themes and skin

OpenPlayerJS

OpenPlayerJS is an open-source HTML5 video player library that provides a consistent interface for all HTML5 video players. It is designed to be easy to use, lightweight, and flexible. It is open-source and available under the MIT license.

• Easy configuration via video/audio tags or Javascript
• Smart algorithm to detect autoplay capabilities
• Cross-Browser and Cross-Device Support
• Supports IE11+ (Win8) and all modern browsers
• Media Advertising support with integrated Google IMA SDK
• Local and remote captions for both video and audio
• Play ads in an infinite loop

Plyr

Plyr is a free, open-source HTML5 media player that supports video and audio playback in all major browsers. It is built on top of the HTML5 Media Element API. It has a comprehensive set of features, including support for playback of multiple video and audio formats, captions, subtitles, chapter navigation, etc.

• Written in “vanilla” ES6 JavaScript, no jQuery required
• Support for hls.js, Shaka, and dash.js streaming playback
• Picture-in-picture mode
• Native fullscreen with fallback to “full window” modes support
• Monetization option
• Multiple caption tracks and previous thumbnails display support
• Standardized API for volume, toggle playback, and more
• Easy customization and responsive for any screen size

ArtPlayer.js

ArtPlayer.js is a library for creating custom audio players with minimal code. It is a feature-rich HTML5 video player with customizable functional controls. ArtPlayer.js provides a simple API for controlling playback, volume, and seeking and a range of features for customizing the player’s appearance and behavior.

• Supports vtt and srt subtitles
• Video quality switching
• Rich custom event monitoring support
• Native picture-in-picture mode
• Playback rate, aspect ratio, flip, window fullscreen, or web fullscreen adjustment
• Support for custom plugins
• Subtitle time offset
• Screenshot support

Top Open Source Video Players for Windows Linux Ubuntu Android iOS

VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is an open-source, cross-platform multimedia player. It is a framework that plays most multimedia files and DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It is available for desktop operating systems and mobile platforms, such as Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Ubuntu, and Windows Phone. VLC supports a wide range of audio and video formats and streaming protocols. We’ve also written a blog on how to stream videos on iOS using AVPlayer, do check it out to know more about video streaming in iOS.

Features:

• Supports a wide range of audio and video file formats.
• The VLC media player is available in over 50 languages.
• Play Internet Radio and Podcasts and Stream Media over Network or Internet
• Play and safely Download YouTube Videos
• Convert videos to any other format
• Loop a Section of a Video or media file
• Add a logo or watermark while playing videos in VLC Media Player
• The VLC media player supports various streaming protocols like HTTP, RTSP, RTMP, UDP, RTP, TCP, etc.

SMPlayer

SMPlayer is a free media player for Windows and Linux with built-in codecs to virtually play all video and audio formats. It doesn’t need any external codecs. SMPlayer is based on MPlayer, a powerful media player with built-in codecs. But SMPlayer is better than MPlayer because it has many features like playing YouTube videos, streaming music from Grooveshark, and Subtitles support.

Features:

• Supports multiple media formats and codecs: avi, mp4, Mkv, Mpeg, MOV, DivX, h.264, etc
• Can play YouTube videos
• can search and download subtitles
• video and audio filters
• change of the playback speed
• adjustment of audio and subtitles delay
• video equalizer
• Available in over 30 languages

GOM Player

GOM Player is a free desktop media player from South Korea, which offers more than just the usual playback function. It was the first free software of its kind to support a usable number of subtitle formats and codecs, making it a favorite among users of the South Korean Internet. GOM Player can play a variety of audio and video formats, AVI, MP4, MKV, FLV, WMV, MOV, etc. It also supports streaming content and can play some incomplete or damaged media files. It has support for many platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Ubuntu.

Features:

• VR and 360-degree playback environment of multiple file format
• Play incomplete, damaged, or not completely downloaded video files
• The GOM Player Subtitle Library auto searches and syncs subtitles
• GOM Remote to link your smartphone to GOM Player
• GOM Player Plus plays high resolution, 4K UHD movies without buffering.
• Custom configuration

Kodi Media Player

Kodi is a media player that lets you stream content from the internet or your local network. You can use Kodi to watch movies, TV shows, live sports, and more. Kodi is free and open-source software available on a wide range of devices. It plays local media files and streams content from a variety of sources. Kodi has a user-friendly interface that enables users to search for content by title, actor, or genre. Kodi also can integrate with a variety of add-ons that allows users to access content from all over the internet.

• Plays media files online or locally
• high customizability
• Supports almost all the latest video codecs
• Scalability with a mega list of add-on browsers
• Configurable plugin during playback
• Subtitle add-ons and program add-ons
• AirPlay feature to access iOS devices and stream media directly
• UPnP and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) support
• Live TV and personal video recorder

MPV Player

MPV is a free, open-source, and cross-platform media player based on MPlayer and mplayer2. It supports most video formats, audio and video codecs, and subtitle types. It also supports video playback while downloading.

• Support for a wide variety of media formats, file-formats, and codecs
• Support for the most popular audio, video, and subtitle formats
• High quality, OpenGL-accelerated video output
• Support for a wide variety of input devices
• On-Screen Controller
• GPU video decoding
• Support for a wide variety of display sizes, from small mobile devices to huge TV-screens
• Fully usable on the remote control (using LIRC)
• Highly customizable via config files
• Fully serviceable with libmpv’s API

GNOME for Linux and Ubuntu

GNOME Media Player is an open-source media player for the GNOME desktop environment. It can play video and audio files and supports subtitles. It supports a wide variety of audio and video formats and allows for easy playback and management of media files. GNOME Videos is the official movie player of the GNOME desktop environment.

• Play any xine or GStreamer supported file.
• 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, 5.1, stereo, and AC3 Passthrough audio output.
• Full-screen mode with Xinerama, dual-head, and Viewport support.
• Remote operation mode
• Playlist with Repeat and Shuffle modes
• Visualisation plugin when playing audio-only files.
• Automatic external subtitle load

PotPlayer

PotPlayer is a multimedia player developed by a Korean company, Kakao (formerly Daum Communications). It is available for Microsoft Windows and macOS. PotPlayer is a free multi-format media player and a universal media engine that plays almost all video, audio, and picture formats. PotPlayer supports a wide range of audio and video formats, and it offers extensive features such as streaming, skins, subtitles, and chapter management.

• Based on the latest media engine under the xy-VS Filter
• Supports all popular media formats, such as MKV, MP4, AVI, WMV, MPG, MPEG, DAT,
• Multi-audio output and advanced subtitles support
• Supports multiple language packs
• Skins, logos, colour themes.
• Digital TV devices support. Live broadcasting
• Hi-Quality playback and low resources usage

FAQs

How can I view HTML5 videos on my device?

To view HTML5 videos on your device, you need a browser that supports HTML5 video playback. Most modern browsers support HTML5 video, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer 10.

How do I implement HTML5 videos on my website?

To implement HTML5 video on your website, you need an HTML5 video player. There are several video players available on the market today. Some players are free, and some paid. The best HTML5 video player plays the video you need with the features you want.

What are the benefits of using HTML5 video?

One of the benefits of using HTML5 video is that all major browsers support it without plugins. This means that you can reach a larger audience with your videos. Additionally, HTML5 video is a more efficient way of delivering video content than using plugins.

What is the difference between HTML5 and Flash?

HTML5 is a new web standard that provides a more powerful and versatile way to create and view multimedia content on the web. Unlike Flash, HTML5 doesn’t require a plugin, so it works on more devices and browsers.

Vishal Sharma

My expertise focuses on DRM encryption, CDN technologies, and streamlining marketing campaigns to drive engagement and growth. At VdoCipher, I’ve significantly enhanced digital experiences and contributed to in-depth technical discussions in the eLearning, Media, and Security sectors, showcasing a commitment to innovation and excellence in the digital landscape.

The post HTML5 Media & Open Source Video Players for Windows Linux Android iOS appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post VdoCipher shifted to HTML5 Widevine DRM in 2018 appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.