Supported BEML Elements for HTML5 Players

This article lists the current collection of supported BEML elements for customized smart players in HTML5 mode, and describes how HTML5 players behave if they were created with not yet supported BEML elements.

Brightcove developed smart players so that you can show your videos on devices that do not support the Flash player, or do not have the Flash player installed. When a Video Cloud smart player enabled for HTML5 does not detect the Flash player on an Apple or Android mobile device, it serves an HTML5 player to show your videos. For more on using Video Cloud smart players and their current capabilities, see Delivering Video with HTML5 and Smart Players.

You can use your custom templates designed in BEML as smart players. Video Cloud continues to support all BEML elements for the smart players in Flash mode, but Video Cloud does not yet support every BEML element in HTML5 mode. All BEML layout elements are supported for HTML5, and all dimensions of template areas stay fixed. Your player size and key zones of your BEML players will stay static. Essentially, when a BEML template containing unsupported BEML elements renders, it will honor the template layout and behavior of the supported elements, but will not display data when it encounters an unsupported BEML element in HTML5 mode.

Supported BEML elements

The following elements are supported for smart players both in the Flash and HTML5 mode. Players that use a custom player template created with BEML will fully render and function in HTML5 mode if the template uses only the following BEML elements:

• VideoPlayer
• ChromelessVideoPlayer
• Canvas
• VBox
• HBox
• Spacer
• Image
• Grid
• Label
• TitleLabel
• Link
• List
• TileList
• ListItem
• ThumbnailButton

Unsupported BEML elements

The following BEML elements are not supported, data regions will not display and controls will not function:

• TabBar
• ComboBox
• MediaControls
• TextRegion
• ChromelessControls
• AudioPlayer
• Button
• Banner
• ExpandingBanner
• Modules*
• SWFLoader*

In addition, the HTML5 version of Video Cloud Smart Players does not support data binding for setting values of attributes, using the ID and properties of an object in a player template.

*A player can function as a smart player if it includes a Modules or a SWFLoader element, but any SWF in those elements will be ignored and will not be loaded when the player is in HTML5 mode.

Sample behavior of HTML5 players with unsupported BEML elements

This section highlights the look and function of smart players with unsupported BEML elements for HTML5 players by showing how a single smart player looks side by side in Flash and HTML5 player modes.

TextRegion element and the not-supported functions in HTML5

In Flash mode, the video title and other text display. In HTML5 mode, the dedicated text region area is honored, but the text does not display.  Also note that the HTML5 chromed players do not support the email, social sharing, get code, full screen, and volume controls. Chromeless players, however, will use the native controls of the player and will not include custom developed controls such as a video quality switcher and also will not include non-supported functionality such as a social sharing control and a volume control. For a list of currently non-supported features for smart players in HTML5 mode, see Player functions in HTML5 mode.

Flash	HTML5

ChromelessControls

In Flash mode, the video player uses the BEML designed chromeless controls. In HTML5 mode, the player uses the native player's standard chromeless play, pause, full screen, and volume controls, and does not include the video quality switcher or the social sharing link.

Flash	HTML5

VideoDisplay and MediaControls

Here the Flash player honors the VideoDisplay and MediaControl elements, while in the HTML5 player, the VideoDisplay element calls the native device player. Note the MediaControls element area is ignored in the HTML5 player. Note also that the native device player automatically takes advantage of a full screen button, and the native player controls. Remember that native players of different devices offer different controls.

Flash	HTML5

BEML elements that invoke the native player

The following BEML elements invoke the native player of the mobile device. Remember that different devices contain players with different controls.

• VideoDisplay. The video player in the native player.
• ChromelessControls. The HTML5 player uses the native controls of the player and will not include custom developed controls such as a video quality switcher. The HTML5 player controls will also not include non-supported functionality such as a social sharing control or a custom volume control. For a list of currently non-supported features for smart players in HTML5 mode, see Player functions in HTML5 mode.
• MediaControls. The HTML5 player ignores the controls completely.