To use thumbnails in a video player and enhance the viewing experience, follow these steps:
- Create Thumbnail Images: Generate a set of thumbnail images that represent significant moments in your video. These images should visually convey what’s happening in the video at those timestamps. Save these thumbnails in a compatible image format like PNG or JPEG.
- Create a WebVTT File: To associate the thumbnails with your video, you need to create a WebVTT file. This file should specify when each thumbnail appears during video playback, along with the URL of the corresponding thumbnail image. Here’s an example of how your WebVTT file could look:
WEBVTT
00:00:00.000 –> 00:00:30.000
https://your-server.com/thumbnail1.jpg
00:00:30.000 –> 00:01:00.000
https://your-server.com/thumbnail2.jpg
00:01:00.000 –> 00:01:30.000
https://your-server.com/thumbnail3.jpg
00:01:30.000 –> 00:02:00.000
https://your-server.com/thumbnail4.jpg
This WebVTT file provides the timestamps and URLs for each thumbnail image.
- Upload Thumbnails and WebVTT File: Host your thumbnail images and the WebVTT file on a web server that allows public access. Ensure that each thumbnail image has a direct URL.
- Integrate Thumbnails into the Video Player: Modify your video player’s settings or URL to include the thumbnails parameter, followed by the URL of your WebVTT file. For example:
https://your-video-player-url.com?thumbnails=https://your-server.com/thumbnails.vtt
By adding this parameter, your video player will display the specified thumbnails over the progress bar during video playback. Viewers can click on these thumbnails to navigate to specific points in the video.
Thumbnails are a valuable addition to video content, making it easier for your audience to locate and access specific scenes or segments in longer videos. They offer a more interactive and user-friendly experience, improving navigation and overall engagement.
Please note that the use of thumbnails may not be supported for live stream videos.