VideoOffline Plugin

VideoOffline plugin

VideoOffline prepares supported videos for offline playback in compatible browsers/devices. Available space and offline behavior depend on the client.

This feature is not available in the mobile app

Features

• Works in major web browsers on PC and mobile devices.
• Allows users to save videos for offline viewing.
• Converts HLS videos to MP4 format and stores them locally.
• Utilizes browser storage for efficient video caching.

How it Works

The VideoOffline Plugin converts HLS videos into MP4 format and saves the corresponding blob code locally, ensuring compatibility across different browsers and devices.

Please note that the maximum file size limit is determined by the browser. While the specific maximum file size may vary, successful tests have shown the capability to store 2-hour-long videos.

Expiration Time

The VideoOffline Plugin provides the option to set an expiration time for offline videos. Users will need to renew the offline availability after the predefined expiration period.

Usergroup Privileges

You can configure the VideoOffline Plugin to grant offline privileges only to specific user groups. By selecting certain user groups, such as those with a subscription through the Subscription Plugin, you can provide offline benefits to eligible users.

Use it in the interface

Administrator

1. Open Admin → Plugins → VideoOffline and enable the plugin.
2. Select Edit parameters.
3. Choose the offline expiration period.
4. Under canWatchOffline, choose All Users, Selected user groups, or Only Logged Users.
5. If you selected user groups, grant the Video Offline permission to the intended groups.

Viewer

1. Open a supported MP4 or HLS video in a web browser.
2. Select Watch Offline near the player or video listing.
3. Keep the page open while the browser saves the video.
4. Open Offline Videos from the user profile to view saved items.

The button is intentionally hidden in the AVideo mobile app. Browser storage can also be limited or cleared by the device.

Pre-Convert All Your Videos

To speed up the conversion process, you can use the following command before storing the videos offline. Please note that this conversion will consume additional disk space.

To convert your videos to the offline format using the VideoOffline Plugin in a Ubuntu command-line environment, follow these steps:

1. Open a terminal in your Ubuntu system.

2. Navigate to the AVideo plugin directory using the cd command. Assuming your AVideo installation directory is /var/www/html/AVideo, run the following command:

   cd /var/www/html/AVideo/plugin/VideoOffline

3. Once you are in the VideoOffline plugin directory, execute the conversion command using PHP by running the following command:

   php convertVideo.commandLine.php

   This command creates the offline-compatible version for all supported videos.

4. Wait for the conversion process to complete. The time taken will depend on the number and size of the videos being converted.

5. After the conversion is finished, the videos will be ready for offline consumption by users through the VideoOffline Plugin.

Common questions

Why is Save Offline missing? Check plugin status, video format/preparation, browser support, permission, available client storage, and secure HTTPS context.

Why did the browser remove a saved video? Browser storage can be cleared or evicted by the device; offline storage is not a permanent backup.

Does offline access bypass expiration or payment? Test the intended license/access behavior before selling offline viewing.