Once a private video is uploaded and streamed to a website, is it possible to securely buffer only the first X seconds of the video? I did a quick test on go.api.video by clicking on a private video link and then copying the iframe in the html and the second video player could play the private video as well. So it seems like the answer is no since I was able to reuse the iframe code?
I am trying to make a video service that lets users preview the first few seconds of the video and if they purchase the video, the whole video can play.
With our premium plans, you can create an MP4 of your video. The HTML spec allows you to add a parameter to the end of the video #t=5,15. This will start playback at 5 seconds into the video, and pause it at 15, giving you a 10 second preview.
Heres a snippet (Note: this video is not a private video so it can be tested repeatedly):
Removing the controls prevents the user from pressing “play” and continuing to watch the video. There is a remote possibility that a user could “view-source” and remove the “#t=x,y” tag, but the video is still private, so it could not be shared with others.
The ‘loop’ parameter does not work with video segments.
The second part of your question references private videos. Private videos are browser/session based… Opening a new tab in the same browser is the same session - using the same cookie, so the video will play. To test the reuse of a private video, you need to try the url in a 2nd browser, or an incognito/private tab. It will fail to play back in the new browser session.
Doug
I see. I am trying to make a paywalled video service, so if someone can just edit the html and play the full video, my only option is to have two separate video assets (preview and paywalled portions). Thanks for the insight though!