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Video Player SDK

The official SDK for api.video's video player

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api.video player SDK

api.video is the video infrastructure for product builders. Lightning fast video APIs for integrating, scaling, and managing on-demand & low latency live streaming features in your app.

Table of contents

Project description

SDK to control and interact with the api.video HTML5 Player

Getting started

Installation

Method #1: requirejs

If you use requirejs you can add the SDK as a dependency to your project with 

$ npm install --save @api.video/player-sdk

You can then use the SDK in your script: 

var { PlayerSdk } = require('@api.video/player-sdk');

var sdk = new PlayerSdk("#target", {
    id: "<VIDEO_ID>", 
    // ... other optional options
});

Method #2: typescript

If you use Typescript you can add the SDK as a dependency to your project with 

$ npm install --save @api.video/player-sdk

You can then use the SDK in your script: 

import { PlayerSdk } from '@api.video/player-sdk'

const sdk = new PlayerSdk("#target", {
    id: "<VIDEO_ID>", 
    // ... other optional options
});

Method #2: simple include in a javascript project

Include the SDK in your HTML file like so:

<head>
    ...
    <script src="https://unpkg.com/@api.video/player-sdk" defer></script>
</head>

Then, once the window.onload event has been triggered, create your player using new PlayerSdk():

<script type="text/javascript">
    window.player = new PlayerSdk("#target", { 
        id: "<VIDEO_ID>", 
        // ... other optional options 
    });
</script>

Documentation

Instanciation

The PlayerSdk constructor takes 2 parameters:

  • targetSelector: string | Element a CSS selector targeting the DOM element in which you want to create the player (eg. "#target"), or the DOM element itself
  • options: SdkOptions an object containing the player options. The available options are the following:
Option nameMandatoryTypeDescription
idyesstringthe id of the video (videoId or liveStreamId)
tokenyes for private videostringthe private video url token
liveno (default: false)booleanindicate that the video is a live one
autoplayno (default: false)booleanstart playing the video as soon as it is loaded
mutedno (default: false)booleanthe video is muted
metadatano (default: empty)objectobject containing metadata (see Full example below)
hideControlsno (default: false)booleanthe controls are hidden (except unmute button if the video starts muted)
chromelessno (default: false)booleanchromeless mode: all controls are hidden
hideTitleno (default: false)booleanthe video title is hidden
hidePosterno (default: false)booleanthe poster image isn't displayed
showSubtitlesno (default: false)booleanthe video subtitles are shown by default
loopno (default: false)booleanonce the video is finished it automatically starts again
playbackRateno (default: 1)numberthe playback rate of the video: 1 for normal, 2 for x2, etc.

The sdk instance can be used to control the video playback, and to listen to player events.

Methods

The sdk instance has the following methods:

loadConfig(options: SdkOptions)

Load a new video in the same instance of the player. Available options are the same as the ones passed to the SDK constructor (see available).

Example:

   player.loadConfig({
      id: "<VIDEO_ID>",
      hideTitle: true,
      hideControls: true,
   });

play()

Start playing the video.

pause()

Pause the video playback.

mute()

Mute the video.

unmute()

Unmute the video.

hideControls(controls?: ControlName[])

Hide the player controls.

controls parameter type definition:

type ControlName = "play" | "seekBackward" | "seekForward" | "playbackRate"
   | "volume" | "fullscreen" | "subtitles" | "chapters"
   | "pictureInPicture" | "progressBar" | "chromecast" | "download" | "more";

If no value is provided for the "controls" parameter, all controls will be hidden.

Note: the only control that can still be visible is the unmute button if the video as started muted. To hide all controls, including this one, use the setChromeless() method

Example:

    player.hideControls();

If a list of control names if provided, the associated controls will be hidden.

Example:

    player.showControls();                          // display all controls ...
    player.hideControls(["download", "subtitles"]); // ... except "download" and "subtitles"

showControls(controls?: ControlName[])

Show the player controls.

controls parameter type definition:

type ControlName = "play" | "seekBackward" | "seekForward" | "playbackRate"
   | "volume" | "fullscreen" | "subtitles" | "chapters"
   | "pictureInPicture" | "progressBar" | "chromecast" | "download" | "more";

If no value is provided for the "controls" parameter, all controls will be displayed.

Example:

    player.showControls();

If a list of control names if provided, the associated controls will be displayed.

Example:

    player.hideControls();                          // hide all controls ...
    player.showControls(["download", "subtitles"]); // ... except "download" and "subtitles" ...
    // ...
    player.showControls(["progressBar"]);           // ... and the progress bar

setChromeless(chromeless: boolean)

Define if the player should be in chromeless mode (all controls hidden).

hideSubtitles()

Hide the player subtitles.

showSubtitles()

Show the player subtitles.

hideTitles()

Hide the video title at the top of the video.

showTitles()

Show the video title at the top of the video.

setLoop(loop: boolean)

Define if the video should be played in loop.

setAutoplay(autoplay: boolean)

Define if the video should start playing as soon as it is loaded

seek(time: number)

Add/substract the given number of seconds to/from the playback time.

setPlaybackRate(rate: number)

Set the current playback rate.
Example:

   player.setPlaybackRate(2); // Play at 2x rate

setCurrentTime(time: number)

Set the current playback time (seconds).

Example:

   player.setCurrentTime(24); // Go the 24th second

setVolume(volume: number)

Change the audio volume to the given value. From 0 to 1 (0 = muted, 1 = 100%).

Example:

    player.setVolume(0.75); // Set the volume to 75%

setVideoStyleObjectFit(value: "contain" | "cover" | "fill" | "none" | "scale-down")

Change the object-fit CSS value of the video tag.

Example:

    player.setVideoStyleObjectFit("cover"); // Set the object-fit to cover

setVideoStyleTransform(value: string)

Change the transform CSS value of the video tag.

Example:

    player.setVideoStyleTransform("rotateY(180deg)"); // Apply a 180deg rotation around the Y axis (mirroring)

setTheme(theme: PlayerTheme)

Change the appearance of the player.

theme parameter type definition:

type PlayerTheme = {
    text?: string;
    link?: string;
    linkHover?: string;
    trackPlayed?: string;
    trackUnplayed?: string;
    trackBackground?: string;
    backgroundTop?: string;
    backgroundBottom?: string;
    backgroundText?: string;
    linkActive?: string;
}

Example:

    player.setTheme({
        link: "red",
        linkHover: "rgba(0, 255, 0, 1)",
        backgroundBottom: "#0000ff",
    });

requestFullscreen()

Request fullscreen mode (this may not work in some cases depending on browser restrictions)

exitFullscreen()

Leave fullscreen mode

requestPictureInPicture()

Request picture in picture mode (this may not work in some cases depending on browser restrictions)

exitPictureInPicture()

Leave picture in picture mode

getPaused(callback?: (paused: boolean) => void): Promise<boolean>

Check weither the video is paused.

getMuted(callback?: (muted: boolean) => void): Promise<boolean>

Check weither the video is muted.

getDuration(callback?: (duration: number) => void): Promise<number>

Retrieve the duration of the video.

getCurrentTime(callback?: (currentTime: number) => void): Promise<number>

Retrieve the current playback time of the video.

getVolume(callback?: (volume: number) => void): Promise<number>

Retrieve the current volume.

getLoop(callback?: (loop: boolean) => void): Promise<boolean>

Check whether the video is in loop mode.

getPlaybackRate(callback?: (rate: number) => void): Promise<number>

Retrieve the playback rate.

destroy()

Destroy the player instance.

addEventListener(event: string, callback: () => void)

Define a callback function that will be called when the given event is triggered by the player.

Available events are the following:

Event nameDescriptionParameter
controlsdisabledControls are now disabled-
controlsenabledControls are now enabled-
endedThe playback as reached the ended of the video-
errorAn error occured-
firstplayThe video started to play for the first time-
fullscreenchangeThe player goes to (or goes back from) full screen-
mouseenterThe user's mouse entered the player area-
mouseleaveThe user's mouse leaved the player area-
pauseThe video has been paused-
playThe video started to play (for the first time or after having been paused)-
playerresizeThe player size has changed-
qualitychangeThe video quality has changed{ resolution: { height: number, width: number } }
ratechangeThe playback rate has changed-
readyThe player is ready to play-
resizeThe video size has changed
seekingThe player is seeking-
timeupdateThe playback time has changed{ currentTime: number }
useractiveThe user is active-
userinactiveThe user is inactive-
volumechangeThe volume has changed{ volume: number }

Examples:

  // listen to the 'play' event
  player.addEventListener('play', function() { 
      console.log('play event received'); 
  });

  player.addEventListener('qualitychange', function(ev) { 
      console.log(`quality has changed: ${ev.resolution.width}x${ev.resolution.height}`); 
  });

Full example

<html>
    <head>
        ...
        <script src="/index.js" defer></script>
    </head>

    <body>
        <div id="target"></div>

        <!-- buttons that call player methods to control the video playback -->
        <button onclick="javascript:player.play()"  id="play-btn">play</button>
        <button onclick="javascript:player.pause()" id="pause-btn" disabled>pause</button>
        <button onclick="javascript:player.mute()">mute</button>
        <button onclick="javascript:player.unmute()">unmute</button>
    </body>

    <script type="text/javascript">
        window.onload = function() {
            // create the player in the #target element
            window.player = new PlayerSdk("#target", {
                id: "123456",
                metadata: {
                    dogcat: "dog"
                }
            });

            // when the 'play' event is received, disable the 'play' button and enable the 'pause' button
            player.addEventListener('play', function() {
                document.getElementById('play-btn').disabled = true;
                document.getElementById('pause-btn').disabled = false;
            });

            // when the 'pause' event is received, disable the 'pause' button and enable the 'play' button
            player.addEventListener('pause', function() {
                document.getElementById('play-btn').disabled = false;
                document.getElementById('pause-btn').disabled = true;
            });
        };
    </script>
</html>

Control an existing embedded player using the SDK

It's also possible to integrate the SDK in a page that already contains an embedded player in order to control it and to listen to its events. Let's consider the following page :

<html>
    <head>
        ...
    </head>

    <body>
        ...
        <!-- my embedded player -->
        <iframe src="//embed.api.video/vod/vi54sj9dAakOHJXKrUycCQZp" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
        ...
    </body>
</html>

To attach the SDK to this player, you'll have to make the following changed in your page:

  • import the sdk.js script in your page,
  • create a PlayerSdk instance once the page is loaded.

Here is how the page will look like with these changes :

<html>
    <head>
        ...
        <script src="/index.js" defer></script>
    </head>

    <body>
        ...
        <!-- my embedded player -->
        <iframe id="myPlayer" src="//embed.api.video/vod/vi54sj9dAakOHJXKrUycCQZp" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
        ...
    </body>

    <script type="text/javascript">
        window.onload = function() {
            // attach the sdk to the existing player
            window.player = new PlayerSdk("#myPlayer");

            // window.player can now be used to control the player as described above
        };
    </script>
</html>

Updated 4 months ago

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