Update: JW7 is now available. Check it out here.
While the JW Player version 5.5 release added some exciting new developer capabilities, JW Player 5.6 focuses on bringing publishers a few useful features.
Support for Audio Files in HTML5
Ever since the JW Player introduced support for HTML5 mode back in JW 5.3, we’ve had a lot of feedback requesting that audio files be playable in HTML5 mode as well. With 5.6, you can now play your MP3, AAC or Ogg Vorbis audio files in HTML5 mode. Just remember that the player relies on each browser’s support for any particular media format.
Better YouTube Integration, Including YouTube HD
The player has upgraded its internal integration with YouTube to their latest “chromeless” player. This impacts JW Player users in a couple of ways:
- YouTube HD support — One of the first things you’ll notice is that YouTube videos will automatically switch to the HD version if it’s available (and if the player window is large enough to accommodate it). If your player window is smaller than the HD version, don’t worry – the player will automatically switch to HD in fullscreen mode.
- No more yt.swf — Previous versions of the JW Player included a little helper file, yt.swf. This file is no longer needed; as of JW5.6, the player’s YouTube integration is now internal.
- Ad-supported content — As we pointed out in a recent blog post, YouTube has begun blocking certain content that they or their partners consider monetizable. JW 5.6 includes support for ads placed by YouTube over this content, allowing it to be embedded on your site.
This release also consists of some additional enhancements:
- Better tabbing support for browsers and screen readers
- Ability for plugins and JavaScript to show / hide the dock and controlbar
- Ability to pass complete JavaScript (JSON) objects into the player via the JW Embedder
- New onSeek event in the JavaScript API
For a detailed list of tickets, please see this list.
You can download the JW Player 5.6 for Flash and HTML5 here. As always, feel free to post your feedback in the comments section directly below.