HTML5 Player Framework Features

• The same control strip and JavaScript API for both the HTML5 video tag and the Silverlight player:
  • JavaScript API is consistent with the HTML5 video tag API.
• Choice of using HTML5 video tag or the Silverlight player as the primary experience:
  • Use the Silverlight player as the primary experience if certain functionality is needed (e.g. Smooth Streaming) or if you only want to encode your video in H.264. that isn't supported with the HTML5 video tag. The Player Framework automatically falls back to HTML5 video for browsers that don't have Silverlight installed.
  • Use the HTML5 video as the primary experience if only a simple video experience is needed. The Player Framework automatically falls back to Silverlight for older browsers that do not support HTML5 video or don't support H.264 encoding with the HTML5 video tag.
• Basic initialization using declarative markup:
  • The most compatible way to add the Player Framework to your web page is to reference the ID of an existing HTML5 video tag or Silverlight object tag when initializing the player. The Player Framework will then wrap the referenced media element to add the feature-rich, pluggable player.
• Pure JavaScript initialization by injecting the Player into a web page without pre-existing video or object tags.
• Accessible functionality through the use of alt and title tags and tabbable controls.
• Playlist support using an array of media items or using a link to a Media RSS feed.
• Closed Captions support using the TTML/DFXP specification
• The Player Framework is built on a pluggable architecture allowing functionality to be added and removed as needed. The Player Framework ships with several plugins to provide the basic player functionality. The included plugins fit into the following categories:
  • Media Plugins are most important type of plugin. A media plugin is used to wrap a media element (e.g. the HTML5 video tag or the Silverlight player) and map it’s functionality to the HTML5 media element API. Media Plugins shipped with the Player Framework:
    • Video Element Media Plugin: Wraps the functionality of the HTML5 video tag.
    • Silverlight Media Plugin: Wraps the functionality of the Silverlight Player Framework.
    • Hyperlink Media Plugin: Provides hyperlinks for the downloadable media.
  • Control Plugins are used to provide UI components that may control the functionality of the player. Control Plugins shipped with the Player Framework:
    • Control Strip Plugin: Provides basic controls in a panel across the bottom of the player.
    • Throbber Control Plugin: Displays a spinning animation while video buffers.
    • Error Message Control Plugin: Displays a message to the user when an error is encountered.
  • Module Plugins are used to add general, custom functionality (e.g. logging) and are instantiated when the player loads.
• Styleable controls
  • All controls can be styled using CSS. Styles are provided for all shipped components and any styles can be overridden for further customization. The same set of HTML controls are used for player regardless of the media plugin that is used for media playback.
• Interactive timeline
• Volume control
• Mute control
• Full screen control
• Poster support
• Support for mobile platforms
• No other 3rd-party JavaScript libraries required
• Pre-load UI
• Error handling