Getting Started with the Drupal Module
Purpose
To provide instructions on how the JW Player Module for Drupal enables you to deliver video content through your Drupal website.
Introduction
The JW Player Module for Drupal enables you to deliver video content through your Drupal website. This module has been developed by LongTail Video, the creator of the JW Player, and allows for easy customization and embedding of the Player in the body of your Drupal nodes. It provides support for all of the player’s configuration options, including skins, plugins and the LongTail Video AdSolution. In addition, it supports a powerful tag system that allows for dynamic customization at embed time, and gives you the capability of referencing external video content or node attachments.
Installation
There are no requirements for this module other than having a Drupal 6.x installation. To install the module, extract jwplayermodule.zip and place the jwplayermodule folder in your Drupal modules directory (/sites/all/modules) on your web server.
Download the non-commercial JW Player here. Extract the contents of the zip file. Navigate to the jwplayermodule directory (/sites/all/modules/jwplayermodule). Copy the player.swf and yt.swf file into the directory.
Login to your Drupal website and navigate to Administer > Site Building > Modules. The jwplayermodule will appear under the Media package. Make sure the “Enabled” checkbox is checked and click the “Save configuration” button. The module is now installed.
Configuration
The module allows for the creation of multiple “Players” which represent different configurations of the JW Player. Each configured Player can be tied to multiple embedded players, which allows for a consistent look across your site.
To access the setup page navigate to “Administer > Site configuration > JW Player setup.” You will see a page that contains two panels: “Manage Players” and “Player Details.”
The “Manage Players” section allows you to select an existing Player or the “New Player” option. Selecting the “New Player” option populates the “Player Details” section with the JW Player defaults.
If you select an existing Player the “Player Details” section will be populated with the values saved for the selected Player. The “Delete” button will also appear. Clicking this button will permanently delete the selected Player. Please note that deleting a Player will break any tags that reference it, so proceed with caution.
If you are creating a new Player the “Name” field will be blank. Before saving your new Player make sure to enter a name for it.
Selecting an existing Player will cause the “Name” field to be populated with the name of the Player. If you make any changes to the configuration you can save it and the existing Player will be updated. However, if you enter a new name the configuration will be saved to a new Player with the new Name. This gives you the flexibility of using an existing Player as the basis for a new Player.
Configuration options are divided into four sections containing subsections as necessary. These will be described below.
Examples of Configuration Options
Basic Player Settings
The Basic Player Settings encompass the most commonly used flashvars for the JW Player. It is very likely that you will be making adjustments to these settings with each Player configuration that you create. These involve setting the player dimensions, and its basic appearance. Descriptions of what each flashvar does are provided when you expand the settings tabs.
Advanced Player Settings
The Advanced Player Settings are used less than the Basic Player Settings and are not required for embedding the JW Player. It is likely that you will make very few changes to the flashvars contained in this section. Again, descriptions of what each flashvar does are provided in the expanded tabs.
In general, the settings in Colors and Icons help to alter the color of the player including the control bar and background color. Playlist is only necessary when using a playlist file and you require custom behavior. Rendering affects the quality and aspect ratio of the video. Finally, Sound lets you preset the mute status and the volume level.
LongTail AdSolution
The LongTail AdSolution (LTAS) is a service provided by LongTail Video which allows you to run pre-roll, post-roll and overlay ads. This enables you to monetize your content. In order to make use of LTAS you will need to purchase a commercial JW Player license and acquire a channel code.
For information about purchasing a commercial license and installing your commercial player please refer to the Additional Considerations section later in this document.
Once you have been approved check the “Enable LTAS” check box and enter your channel code in the “ltas.cc” field.
Plugins
The JW Player has a number of plugins available that enhance player functionality, or alter existing functionality. This section contains a subsection for each available plugin, providing a description of its function as well as any flashvars that may customize it. To use a particular plugin, expand that plugin’s tab and check the “Enable Plugin” checkbox. The fields below enable you to change the plugin’s configuration options. Save your player as normal after you have configured the plugin.