video.js vs recordrtc

Web Video Libraries Comparison

RecordRTC and Video.js are both powerful libraries used in web development for handling video functionalities. RecordRTC is primarily focused on recording audio and video streams directly from the browser, enabling developers to capture media in real-time. It supports various formats and provides a simple API for recording and saving media. On the other hand, Video.js is a robust library designed for playing and managing video content on the web. It provides a customizable player interface, supports a wide range of video formats, and offers features like playback controls, streaming, and plugins for extended functionality. Together, these libraries cater to different aspects of video handling in web applications.

Package	Downloads	Stars	Size	Issues	Publish	License

video.js	594,550	38,466	17.9 MB	570	3 months ago	Apache-2.0
recordrtc	128,515	6,680	-	438	4 years ago	MIT

Recording Capabilities

video.js:
Video.js does not provide recording capabilities; its primary focus is on playback. It is designed to handle video streaming and playback efficiently, ensuring smooth user experiences across devices. If recording is not a requirement, Video.js is the go-to solution for video playback.
recordrtc:
RecordRTC excels in capturing audio and video streams from the user's device. It supports various formats including WebM, MP4, and GIF, making it versatile for different recording needs. It also allows for real-time recording and playback, enabling developers to create applications like video chat or screen recording with ease.

Customization

video.js:
Video.js is highly customizable, allowing developers to modify the player interface, controls, and behavior. It supports a wide range of plugins and themes, enabling developers to create a tailored video playback experience that fits the design and functionality of their applications.
recordrtc:
RecordRTC offers limited customization options as it is primarily focused on recording functionality. Developers can adjust settings related to the recording process, such as audio and video quality, but the player interface is not customizable since it does not include a player component.

Ease of Use

video.js:
Video.js is designed with ease of use in mind, providing a simple API for integrating video playback into web applications. Its extensive documentation and community support make it accessible for developers of all skill levels.
recordrtc:
RecordRTC has a straightforward API that simplifies the process of capturing media. However, it may require additional handling for saving and managing recorded files, which can introduce complexity for some developers.

Browser Compatibility

video.js:
Video.js is designed to work across all modern browsers and devices, ensuring a consistent video playback experience. It handles browser inconsistencies internally, allowing developers to focus on building their applications without worrying about compatibility issues.
recordrtc:
RecordRTC is compatible with modern browsers that support WebRTC, making it suitable for real-time applications. However, older browsers may not fully support all features, which can limit its usability in some cases.

Use Cases

video.js:
Video.js is best suited for applications that need to display video content, such as video streaming services, educational platforms, or media galleries. Its robust player features and customization options make it a versatile choice for any video-centric application.
recordrtc:
RecordRTC is ideal for applications that require media capture, such as video conferencing tools, online education platforms, or any application that needs to record user-generated content. Its focus on real-time recording makes it a strong choice for interactive applications.

video.js:
Choose Video.js if you need a feature-rich video player for streaming and playing back video content. It is suitable for applications that require a customizable player interface, support for various video formats, and additional features like subtitles, playback controls, and analytics.
recordrtc:
Choose RecordRTC if your primary requirement is to capture and record audio and video streams directly from the user's device. It is ideal for applications that require real-time media capture, such as video conferencing, live streaming, or creating video messages.

video.js

recordrtc

Video.js® - Web Video Player

Video.js is a full featured, open source video player for all web-based platforms.

Right out of the box, Video.js supports all common media formats used on the web including streaming formats like HLS and DASH. It works on desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and web-based Smart TVs. It can be further extended and customized by a robust ecosystem of plugins.

Video.js was started in the middle of 2010 and is now used on over ~~50,000~~ ~~100,000~~ ~~200,000~~ ~~400,000~~ ~~700,000~~ 800,000 websites.

Table of Contents

Quick Start

Thanks to the awesome folks over at Fastly, there's a free, CDN hosted version of Video.js that anyone can use. Add these tags to your document's <head>:

<link href="//vjs.zencdn.net/8.21.0/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="//vjs.zencdn.net/8.21.0/video.min.js"></script>

Alternatively, you can include Video.js by getting it from npm, downloading it from GitHub releases or by including it via unpkg or another JavaScript CDN, like CDNjs.

<!-- unpkg : use the latest version of Video.js -->
<link href="https://unpkg.com/video.js/dist/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://unpkg.com/video.js/dist/video.min.js"></script>

<!-- unpkg : use a specific version of Video.js (change the version numbers as necessary) -->
<link href="https://unpkg.com/video.js@8.21.0/dist/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://unpkg.com/video.js@8.21.0/dist/video.min.js"></script>

<!-- cdnjs : use a specific version of Video.js (change the version numbers as necessary) -->
<link href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/video.js/8.21.0/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/video.js/8.21.0/video.min.js"></script>

Next, using Video.js is as simple as creating a <video> element, but with an additional data-setup attribute. At a minimum, this attribute must have a value of '{}', but it can include any Video.js options - just make sure it contains valid JSON!

<video
    id="my-player"
    class="video-js"
    controls
    preload="auto"
    poster="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.png"
    data-setup='{}'>
  <source src="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source>
  <source src="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.webm" type="video/webm"></source>
  <source src="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.ogv" type="video/ogg"></source>
  <p class="vjs-no-js">
    To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a
    web browser that
    <a href="https://videojs.com/html5-video-support/" target="_blank">
      supports HTML5 video
    </a>
  </p>
</video>

When the page loads, Video.js will find this element and automatically setup a player in its place.

If you don't want to use automatic setup, you can leave off the data-setup attribute and initialize a <video> element manually using the videojs function:

var player = videojs('my-player');

The videojs function also accepts an options object and a callback to be invoked when the player is ready:

var options = {};

var player = videojs('my-player', options, function onPlayerReady() {
  videojs.log('Your player is ready!');

  // In this context, `this` is the player that was created by Video.js.
  this.play();

  // How about an event listener?
  this.on('ended', function() {
    videojs.log('Awww...over so soon?!');
  });
});

If you're ready to dive in, the Getting Started page and documentation are the best places to go for more information. If you get stuck, head over to our Slack!

Contributing

Video.js is a free and open source library, and we appreciate any help you're willing to give - whether it's fixing bugs, improving documentation, or suggesting new features. Check out the contributing guide for more!

Video.js uses BrowserStack for compatibility testing.

Code of Conduct

Please note that this project is released with a Contributor Code of Conduct. By participating in this project you agree to abide by its terms.

License

Video.js is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.

Video.js is a registered trademark of Brightcove, Inc.