Chrome 70 includes Picture in Picture mode for videos

Feature Suggestions
1

New to Chrome 70 is a “Picture in Picture” mode for watching videos and it would be awesome if Plex supported this feature. This pops the video out into a floating window that shows the video on top of all other windows. This works in YouTube now:

  1. Start playing a YouTube video in the browser.
  2. Right click (you get a YouTube player menu)
  3. Right click again (you get a Chrome menu)
  4. Click “Picture in Picture”

The video will pop out. You can click / drag / resize and setup the video just where you want it.

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2018-10-21%2014_43_44-The%20Good%20Place%20-%20S3%20%C2%B7%20E41080×463 56.5 KB

2

I’d definitely like to see this built-in. For now, you can use this extension to get the same thing: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/picture-in-picture/hkgfoiooedgoejojocmhlaklaeopbecg

1 Like
3

Yes, I saw those conversations, too. I believe that native support will be great. I don’t know what it would take to integrate or enable, or why any streaming video wouldn’t automatically support a picture-in-picture mode.

Developer code doesn’t look difficult, but it may break with the way that Plex has designed the player.

<video id="video" src="https://example.com/file.mp4"></video>

<button id="pipButton"></button>

<script>
  // Hide button if Picture-in-Picture is not supported.
  pipButton.hidden = !document.pictureInPictureEnabled;

  pipButton.addEventListener('click', function() {
    // If there is no element in Picture-in-Picture yet, let's request Picture
    // In Picture for the video, otherwise leave it.
    if (!document.pictureInPictureElement) {
      video.requestPictureInPicture()
      .catch(error => {
        // Video failed to enter Picture-in-Picture mode.
      });
    } else {
      document.exitPictureInPicture()
      .catch(error => {
        // Video failed to leave Picture-in-Picture mode.
      });
    }
  });
</script>
4

There are at least 2 Chrome extensions which enable this in Chrome.
It is now possible in Firefox by default, btw.

I’d like to close this thread in order to free up the votes for you.

5

It would be nice if it was native. I am currently running about 11 Chrome plug-ins showing on my bar and some of them have started interfering with other websites. It would be nice to not have to rely on another plugin since it is native in the browser.

Close it if you want.

1 Like
6

I agree with the native PIP instead of having to rely on 3rd parties. Chromium Edge and Chrome support native and it is handy. Would be great if Plex supported.

7

I’ve given up using Plex to play videos in Chrome, my preferred browser. Streaming in Chrome sends my Plex server into a transcoding tizzy. I can watch without transcoding using the Windows Plex App just fine.

There is no “always on top” option for that Windows app, either. Should be an easy fix to implement. In the meantime, I’m using DeskPins to pin it.