why we use blob urls in video source in html
Sometimes, you will see blob url as a source in video tag as shown below.
<video width="100%" height="100%" src="blob:https://www.primevideo.com/1f28fb9b-d061-41cd-9bbb-6995ac2b5ba4"></video>
Such <video>
tag indicates that a video is being played from a blob
URL. This blob
URL is a unique identifier for a video resource that's being streamed or dynamically created by the browser.
Key Elements in the <video>
Tag
<video width="100%" height="100%" src="blob:https://www.primevideo.com/1f28fb9b-d061-41cd-9bbb-6995ac2b5ba4"></video>
width="100%"
: This sets the width of the video to 100% of the container.height="100%"
: This sets the height of the video to 100% of the container.src="blob:https://www.primevideo.com/1f28fb9b-d061-41cd-9bbb-6995ac2b5ba4"
: Thesrc
attribute points to ablob
URL, indicating the source of the video content.
Understanding Blob URLs
- Blob URLs: These URLs are used to reference binary data (such as a video file) that is being dynamically created and managed by the browser. They are typically used when a video is being streamed or when the video data is being loaded from a different source and then processed by the browser.
- Prime Video Example: In the context of Prime Video, the video content might be fetched using a different method (like an API call) and then converted into a
blob
URL for playback. This helps in managing video streams securely and efficiently.
Example Use Case
Here's a more detailed example of how a blob
URL might be used in conjunction with a video element in a web application:
- Fetching the Video Data: The video data is fetched using an HTTP request.
- Creating a Blob URL: The fetched data is then converted into a
blob
URL. - Assigning the Blob URL to the Video Tag: The
blob
URL is assigned to thesrc
attribute of the<video>
tag for playback.
Example JavaScript to Create a Blob URL for a Video
// Fetch the video data
fetch('https://example.com/video')
.then(response => response.blob())
.then(blob => {
// Create a blob URL
const blobUrl = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
// Assign the blob URL to the video tag
const videoElement = document.querySelector('video');
videoElement.src = blobUrl;
});
Why Use Blob URLs?
- Security: Blob URLs provide a secure way to reference video data without exposing the original source.
- Efficiency: They enable efficient streaming and processing of video data within the browser.
- Flexibility: Blob URLs can be used for dynamically generated or processed video content.
Published on: Jul 06, 2024, 06:51 AM