JW Player 6 Released: Improves Mobile Playback, Adds HLS Support
LongTail Video has announced the release of JW Player 6, a major upgrade to the company's popular free and low-cost video player. Improvements include better playback on mobile devices, support for Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), a new user interface, and VAST/VPAID ad support.
Mobile support isn't new to the JW Player, but version 6 takes advantage of the latest HTML5 browser enhancements, for example by using the HTML5 Fullscreen API. It also include on-the-fly mode selection to deliver the best video for each browser, whether desktop or mobile. That lets content owners set up one video and know that each viewer will get an optimized experience.
Staying current on formats, JW Player 6 supports HLS streaming out of the box for both iOS and Android devices. The company says it's trying to simplify streaming for publishers by making it easy to support most mobile devices with one embed.
The redesigned user interface is meant to feel more modern, but includes eight additional skins for those who prefer a different look. Player components are placed in the same locations regardless, for ease of use.
Finally, LongTail is helping people get paid with built-in VAST/VPAID ad support.
The player is available in four versions, including a free version for non-commercial use.
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