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Problems with Version 6

I have version 5 working perfectly. In my configuration the player is instantiated and hidden with no 'file' option on setup. When the user clicks a link, my code displays the player (popup)'loads' a url and then 'plays' using the Javascript API syntax for above.

For version 6 I have changed the HEAD section scripts as required by version 6 and I have installed the JS and SWF's correctly on my server (same locations as version 5), using exactly the same setup as for version 5.

However now when the links are clicked, the player appears as it should but I get an error message that says NO PLAYABLE SOURCES FOUND. The video sources are exactly the same MP4 files in he same location that work in version 5. I am currenly testing this from a localhost.

My setup script (which contains some ASP variables set at run time) is...

bc.. <div id="container"></div>
jwplayer("container").setup
({
skin:'<%=sFlashSkin %>',
image:'<%=sFlashImageUrl%>',
backcolor:'DCDCDC',
controlbar:'bottom',
volume:'20',
stretching:'<%=sFlashAR %>',
height:'<%=sPlyrHt %>',
width: '<%=sPlyrWd %>',
repeat:'none',
id:'container',
modes:[
{type: "flash", src: "../../includes/jwplayer.flash.swf"},
{type: "html5", config:{'provider':'video'}},
{type: "download", config:{'provider':'video'}}]
})


I have tried this with/without the version 5 modes block, (which I am not clear on whether needed for version 6). I have also run through your troubleshooting options. Same error always.

Suggestions please

34 Community Answers

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

You are using a lot of v5 specific variables here.

A lot has changed from 5 to 6.

I would refer here – http://www.longtailvideo.com/support/jw-player/28834/migrating-from-jw5-to-jw6

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethan,

I have carefully read that material but I can't seem to find what I have been easily able to do in version 5.

I want to minimally instantiate a player but keep it hidden. Then load and play a single video from a click event on the page. I do not want to use playlists.

The new API seems to indicate that this is no longer possible in version 6?

Example using Version 5 - when this appears please select "Risk Management Overview", select the "Introduction" tab and then click the camera icon. This is scripted with player.load() and player.play()

Please see http://www.vivatexte.com/eprep/cscf/sx_en/demo.htm

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

You should be able to do that in v6, can you try it?

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethan,
Thnaks for staying with me on this.

When I try it locally I just get the error described above. I have tried to eliminate the v5 setup parameters that no longer seem to apply to v6 but to no avail.

Your API documentation is now confusing. For example: The old documentation defined a LOAD method that accepted a video file. Your documentation now suggests that the LOAD method takes a playlist. What am I missing here?

Or could v6 have a problem running from localhost that might not appear when running from my production server?

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

It shouldn’t, localhost + jw6 works fine. Can you through up a link?

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethan,

I'll have to do some fancy footwork first, because I don't want to entangle v5 with v6 on my production server. I'll get something working on Monday.

Thanks again for your patience.

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Np

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethen,

OK, I have two demos to compare. The first, (English) version is using V5, the second (French) uses v6. Except for a difference in setup params, the code shown below is used in both.

As before, look for a "camera" icon on a tabbed page in any block.
V5 En Demo: http://www.vivatexte.com/eprep/cscf/sx_en/demo.htm
V6 Fr Demo: http://www.vivatexte.com/eprep/cscf/sx_fr/demo.htm

bc.. <!--V6 HEAD section scripts - jwplayer_svc.js is my own code for housekeeping and links-->
<script src='../../includes/v6/jwplayer.js' type='text/javascript'></script>
<script src='../../includes/v6/jwplayer.html5.js' type='text/javascript'></script>
<script>jwplayer.key="WyfYfuRbPdtGPWCk+9HyrLKo0u0Hj/39Pefgkw=="</script>
<script src='../../includes/v6/jwplayer_svc.js' type='text/javascript'></script>

<!--V6 Setup with ASP variables set at run time-->
jwplayer("container").setup
({
skin:'<%=sFlashSkin %>',
image:'<%=sFlashImageUrl%>',
autostart:true,
stretching:'<%=sFlashAR %>',
height:'<%=sPlyrHt %>',
width: '<%=sPlyrWd %>',
primary:'flash'
})

<!--My code that fires the links from pages-->
jwplayer("container").load({file: inUrl});
jwplayer("container").play(true);

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Is it possible to put up just the player on a blank html test page that is not inside of the app/

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethan,

OK, try this link.

http://www.vivatexte.com/eprep/cscf/sx_fr/lt_v6.htm

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Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Ok,

Under:

stretching:‘fill’,

Add:

type:‘mp4’,

Does that help ?

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethan,

No change. Try it to see.

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

What about:

jwplayer(“container”).load({file: vidurl});

Changes to:

jwplayer(“container”).load({file: vidurl,‘type’:’mp4’});

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethen,
Suggested change made but no change in the error.

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

I like your script, very simple. How do you add the close button on the popup? I tried the if statement, but not sure how that works.

Your example works if you do this

bc.. <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<title></title>
<script src='http://www.vivatexte.com/eprep/includes/v6/jwplayer.js' type='text/javascript'></script>
<script src='http://www.vivatexte.com/eprep/includes/v6/jwplayer.html5.js' type='text/javascript'>
</script>
<script>jwplayer.key="WyfYfuRbPdtGPWCk+9HyrLKo0u0Hj/39Pefgkw=="</script>

<script>

function PlayIt()
{
var tblObj=document.getElementById("_epflash_")
with (tblObj)
{
style.visibility="visible"
style.display="block"
style.top="100px"
style.left="200px"
}

var vidurl="http://www.canskicoach.org/eprep/sxvids/ipad/v1_fx.mp4"

if (jwplayer("container"))
{
jwplayer("container").load({file: vidurl,'type': 'mp4'});
jwplayer("container").play(true);
}

}
</script>

</head>
<body style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:10pt;margin:40px">
<center><h4>Longtail Version 6 Problem</h4></center>
<p>This example is somewhat close to the code that runs in the apps I sent previously. There is a little more housekeeping in the "PlayIt()" function but that is mostly sizing and positioning of the popup table view.But the error is the same.</p>
<table id='_epflash_' name='_epflash_' class='epFlashTbl' border='0' cellspacing='0' cellpadding='0'style='visibility:hidden;margin:0px;position:absolute;top:200;left:200;width:auto;height:auto;z-index:1000;background-color:#2E2E2E;color:#FFFFFF'>
<tr><td id='_eptitle_' align='center' class='epFlashTitle' valign='middle' style='padding:2px;height:auto'>Test Version 6</td></tr>
<tr><td align='center' valign='top' style='padding:0px;background-color:black;vertical-align:top'>
<div id="container" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"></div>

<script>
jwplayer("container").setup({
file: "http://www.canskicoach.org/eprep/sxvids/ipad/v1_fx.mp4",
autostart: true,
controls: true,
primary: "flash",
width: 480,
height: 270
});
</script>

</td></tr></table>
<a href="javascript:PlayIt()">Click to Play</a>
</body>

</html>


Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

@DaveT – Do you mean the one by Dave Skinner?

@Dave Skinner – It looks like the player is not even trying to render in Flash mode, like it is ignoring the setup entirely.

Maybe you should also try to add a file to the inital setup:

Add a file under this line?

autostart:true,

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Yeah, I like how its loading the player like lightbox. I cant find any new documentation on lightbox, and think this solution maybe what I was looking for. I have a working example like his, just didn't know how to add the close window button.

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Where do you have it running ?

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

http://www.hesd.k12.ca.us/mobile/MediaLibrary/lt_v6.htm

Its just an example of Dave Skinner's page

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Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

ReferenceError: text is not defined
http://www.hesd.k12.ca.us/mobile/MediaLibrary/lt_v6.htm
Line 24

This is where the close button is, this is what Firebug says, at least.

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Dave T,

This was just a one page simplified example of how we use the videos on pages in our production stuff when we have to deal with restricted screen real estate.

Adding a close button is simple. Just add a clickable character or icon to the the header line (_eptitle_), use css to float it to the right (or wherever), add an onclick event pointed to a function (eg. KillVideo()) that contains code to stop the video and hide the table, using css visibility.

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethan,

Having a file added to the setup kind of defeats the aim of having the player sit there quietly hidden until a link is clicked. With autostart on, won't the file start playing?

But to test your idea I will create a small, silent mp4 "startup" video and try your solution.

What did you guys do to V6 that caused this change? The V5 version handles this kind of setup perfectly. Think I'll have to stick with V5 until you get this sorted out. Hate having paid the extra money for V6 though.

Stay tuned.

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Dave,

I will ask Jeroen. I am fairly certain we don’t support setups with no files though.

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethan,

It is now working. But what a weird kludge for this solution! I added a NON-EXISTANT mp4 file to the setup, i.e. *file:"junk.mp4"*. There is no such file! See source on link below.

It seems the new setup for V6 needs something with a valid video extension?

You might want to be sure to put this fix somewhere in your documentation. I did also find that it complained about a skin file that I had for version 5. Is there a new skin XML format and where can I find it?

See http://www.vivatexte.com/eprep/cscf/sx_fr/lt_v6.htm

Thanks for your patience and help.

Up Down

Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Np, thanks for sharing. You need to add something to your skin file, called a “target”, which is mentioned here – http://www.longtailvideo.com/support/jw-player/28847/building-jw-player-skins

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

For Dave T,

If you want I can send you a complete script for managment of the popup video method that we use. Reply with your email address if so.

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethan,

After further testing, the kludge of adding a non-existant file to the setup has another problem when viewed in iPad/Safari. This does not seem to occcur in a PC seting.

The dummy file now required in the V6 setup configuration causes the jwplayer to momentarily flash when the page is invoked, (showing the poster image if defined) before the player is activated by any links. Both ugly, and undesireable.

Again this was not a problem in version 5.

Can you guys not have a look at version 6 and provide a way to instantiate it as in version 5, without requiring a mandatory FILE attribute in the setup? This problem is a deal breaker for us in using version 6. Hopefully you will continue to support 5 in its current state.

Dave

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Ethan Feldman

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

I will pass that along…thanks.

Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

Ethan,

Is there some way you can let me know if this feature has been changed as suggested above?

Up Down

JeroenW

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

What about simply invoking the entire player the first time a FILE is setup? You can call jwplayer().setup() at any time…

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JW Player

User  
0 rated :

JeroenW

Not really feasible, since one would have to re-instantiate the player for every linked file that was to be displayed. Our implementation requires a hidden instantiated player that is invoked and pops up when the user clicks a link to a particular video.

Version 5 works perfectly but version 6 now requires a File attribute whne instantiated. I think this is a real mistake. A deal breaker for us using version 6.

See http://www.vivatexte.com/eprep/cscf/sx_fr/lt_v6.htm to see this idea. The intial problem was solved by adding a non existant mp4 file to the setup. In a normal browser it is fine but in the iPad the fake file flashes beforehand.

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JeroenW

JW Player Support Agent  
0 rated :

Hmm, that’s a pity. We cannot go back to instantiating empty players though. The player requires a file to initialise, so it can determine which mode to use.

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JW Player

User  
0 rated :

JeroenW

But couldn't you jig the autostart parameter with a new value, such as 'hold' which still allowed it to define its mode yet prevent the player from actually playing the intial file needed in the setup?

And, another bug I found in v6 compared to v5. In our app we want to keep the player hidden inside a container (a table) and then pop up (using the css 'visibility' style). We thus place the <div> tags eg:

bc.. <table style='visibility:hidden'><tr><td>
<div id="player"></div>
</td></tr></table>



When user clicks a link the table (and the player instantiated now in the div, appear. Our "close' button then rehides the table and player.

In version 6 the divs shown above do not obey the visible/hidden css directives *when in the iPad* and while the table disappears, the player remains visible or active. This does not occur in a non iPad browser with v6.

Example http://www.vivatexte.com/eprep/cscf/sx_fr/lt_v6.htm
Using the URL above in an iPad, click the header to close and then click on the blank space on the page where the player was previously. You will now see that it still is there and reappears alone without the container table. Somehow the css script which rehides the table is not acting on the container div tag, or the stop function is not unloading the video correctly when stop() is called.

In version 5 this is not an issue.

There are many cases where screen real estate does not allow a permanent player to be displayed. This "popup" option is an important feature to us and possibly others. Can you not have a look at v6 and accomodate this feature?

Dave




Up Down

JW Player

User  
0 rated :

"This does not occur in a non iPad browser with v6. "
Sorry I meant...
"This does not occur in a non iPad browser with v5.".

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