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Video Playback Spec 🧪

Define what events you want triggered in advance

Named events

Goals, easier code.

Less code interaction.

Better integration with existing specs, like chapters.

Chapters

Youtube

  1. Timestamps in Description: Chapters are created using timestamps listed in the video's description.

  2. Starting Point: The first timestamp must start at 0:00, and the chapter title should typically be "Intro" or any other suitable title the creator wants to use.

  3. Format: Timestamps are written in the MM:SS format for videos under an hour, and HH:MM:SS for videos over an hour. After the timestamp, the creator provides a space, followed by the chapter name.

  4. Minimum Duration: For a video to have chapters, it must have at least three timestamps listed, and each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long.

// Some code
0:00 Intro
1:23 Part 1: Basics
3:45 Part 2: Advanced Topics

{ "snippet": { ... "description": "0:00 Intro\n1:23 Part 1: Basics\n3:45 Part 2: Advanced Topics" ... } }

Some events are automatic

stop

play

pause

buffer

seek

This is primarily for special, named events that relate to certain parts of your video.

Import Youtube's standard?

// Some code 
<script type="sygnal/sa5-video">
show-button: 15.28s
navigate: 98%
pause: pause
</script>

Use the videos.list method with the snippet part.

// Some code
const description = "0:00 Intro\n1:23 Part 1: Basics\n3:45 Part 2: Advanced Topics"; // This would come from the API.
const regex = /(\d{1,2}:\d{2}(?:\:\d{2})?)\s(.+)/g;
let match;
const chapters = [];

while (match = regex.exec(description)) {
    chapters.push({
        timestamp: match[1],
        title: match[2]
    });
}

console.log(chapters);

Chapters

Also supported by;

  1. YouTube

  2. Loom

  3. Apple Podcasts & iTunes: Chapters can be added to podcasts, which allows listeners to skip to specific segments of the episode.

  4. Overcast: A popular podcast player that supports chapters.

  5. Podcast Chapters: A macOS app specifically designed to add chapters to podcasts.

  6. MKVToolNix: It's a tool for Matroska (MKV) files, and one of its features is to create or edit chapters.

  7. Auphonic: An online audio and podcast processing tool that supports chapter markers.

  8. Podlove Web Player: A web-based podcast player that supports chapters.

  9. Simple Chapters: An open standard for adding chapter information to MP4s and MP3s.

  10. M4A files: The M4A file format, primarily used by Apple for songs without DRM protection in iTunes, supports chapters.

  11. Audible: The audiobook platform uses chapter functionality, allowing listeners to navigate between different sections of the book.

JSON Approach

Too verbose, dislike.

<script type="sygnal/sa5-video">
{
    "events": [
        {
            "type": "time",
            "value": 15.28,
            "action": "show-button"
        },
        {
            "type": "percentage",
            "value": 98,
            "action": "navigate"
        },
        {
            "type": "state",
            "value": "pause",
            "action": "pause"
        }
    ]
}
</script>

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