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Video embed background color


We've been working on embedding the player within a website with a white background. We have seen the `screencolor` option which works fine once the media is loaded however the Flash embed 'bgcolor' is hard-coded and cannot be changed in JWPlayer 5.x.

I have found this feature request ticket for JWPlayer 6 that seems to confirm that the bgcolor is now parameterized but we cannot find any documentation for it and our tests with a copy of JWPlayer 6 have not found the setting either which is even more important now the HTML5 first player also sets a background color:

http://developer.longtailvideo.com/trac/ticket/1589

Thanks, Rob

18 Community Answers

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

If you want to change that, the only way I can think of, is editing the color in jwplayer.js manually.

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

We've been trying to do the same thing and found the ticket above too, is this not 'fixed' but 'will not fix' in the new JW Player?

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

I would recommend changing the references in jwplayer.js from 000000 to the color of your choice, that works.

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

We're using BOTR and not self-hosting the player so this is a real pain. I hope this option gets added soon.

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Oh, I see.

Remco van Bree

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

I’m afraid we do not plan to introduce this as a configuration option into Bits on the Run for the foreseeable future.

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Hmm, that's a shame - it seems like a common functionality request that's pretty trivial to add.

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

It requires a bit of hackery to do that, so not sure if that is something we would support . . .

JW Player

User  
1 rated :

How about removing any inline background color declarations? Then it would be easy for developers to embed the video onto whatever canvas they choose.

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

You could do that via a custom skin.

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

The black background is hardcoded into jwplayer.js

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Yes, so that is the only place to change it (self hosting).

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

I have been looking for a solution to the problem as well. I have changed all references in the jwplayer.js to fff and I am still getting the black background. Are you sure this is the correct solution.

I do agree that a better solution should be implemented for the hosted solution. At the very least this should be modifiable through the skin settings.

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Can I see where you tried this?

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

For those of you who still wonder about this the replacement is not just in the jwplayer.js - the replacement is in the *jwplayer.html5.js file*. In it search for "*U.style.backgroundColor*" and replace the first color value after that with your own color.

For flash playback you do need to replace the black color in the jwplayer.js file.

So replacements in 2 files.

This really should be a setting in the player configuration. With replacement solution the only option is self hosted.

Hopefully this will save someone else some time :)

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

@Prolet

which JWPlayer version are you referring to?
Did you check 6.3.3242 or another version?

btw, I had suggested to LTV this as a player configuration option quite awhile ago where the player's background color can be set(color OR transparent).

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Sorry this was on version 6.2.3115. I had downloaded it a few weeks back. I will have to see what is the option on the 6.3 version it does not seem to be the one above....

One more reason to have this a settable option as now I will have to figure it out all over on the new version in order to upgrade :)

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Yes, you do need to set it in both files, that is correct.

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