Creating a custom anime video player with Artplayer in Next.js

Video streaming has become an integral part of modern web applications, especially for platforms like Animeflix that cater to anime enthusiasts. In this article, we will explore how to create a custom anime video player using Artplayer within a Next.js application. Artplayer is a versatile HTML5 video player that offers various features and plugins to enhance the viewing experience.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following:

A Next.js project set up and running.
Familiarity with React and JavaScript.
An understanding of video streaming concepts.

Getting Started with Artplayer

To create our custom anime video player, we will leverage the power of Artplayer. This library allows us to easily integrate and customize a video player within our Next.js application.

First, ensure you have the necessary dependencies installed:

npm install artplayer artplayer-plugin-hls-quality hls.js universal-cookie

These packages will enable us to work with Artplayer, handle HLS video streaming, and manage cookies.

Implementing the Artplayer Component

Now, let's dive into the code. We will create a custom React component that wraps Artplayer and adds some additional functionality tailored to anime streaming.

import React, { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
import Artplayer from 'artplayer';
import artplayerPluginHlsQuality from 'artplayer-plugin-hls-quality';
import Hls from 'hls.js';
import Cookies from 'universal-cookie';

const CustomAnimePlayer = ({ option }) => {
  try {
    var time2Skip = option.time2skip;
    var setAutoSkip = false;
    const artRef = useRef(null);
    var instance;

    useEffect(() => {
      // Initialize Hls.js for HLS video playback
      window.hls = new Hls();
      
      // Create an instance of Artplayer with various options
      instance = new Artplayer({
        ...option,
        container: artRef.current,
        whitelist: ['*'],
        plugins: [
          // Plugin for HLS video quality control
          artplayerPluginHlsQuality({
            control: false,
            setting: true,
            auto: 'Auto',
            getResolution(level) {
              // Set the quality label based on the video height
              if (level.height === -1) {
                return 'Auto';
              } else {
                if (level.height > 720) {
                  return level.height + 'p' + ' (HD)';
                }
                return level.height + 'p';
              }
            },
            title: 'Quality',
          }),
        ],
        // Other Artplayer options such as icons, context menu, etc.
      });

      // Event handler for video ending
      instance.on('video:ended', () => {
        if (option.NextEpisodeNumber) {
          instance.notice.show = "Next episode >";
          window.location.href = '?episode=' + option.NextEpisodeNumber;
        } else {
          instance.notice.show = "Episode ended.";
        }
      }, false);

      // Event handler for video time updates
      instance.on("video:timeupdate", () => {
        // Logic for skipping opening and ending based on currentTime
        // Controls are added to skip the opening and ending sections of the video.
      });

      // Cleanup function on component unmount
      return () => {
        if (instance && instance.destroy) {
          instance.destroy(false);
        }
      };
    }, [option]);

    // JSX rendering of the component
    return (
      <>
        <div ref={artRef} style={{ width: '100%', height: '100%' }} className='flex items-center justify-center bg-black'></div>
        <style jsx global>{`
          .app-skip-btn {
            background-color: #171717;
            border-radius: .375rem;
            box-shadow: 0 20px 25px -5px rgba(0,0,0,.1), 0 10px 10px -5px rgba(0,0,0,.04);
            color: #fff;
            line-height: 1rem;
            padding: .5em!important;
            position: absolute;
            right: 2%;
            top: -6.5rem;
            width: 6rem;
          }
        `}</style>
      </>
    );
  } catch (err) {
    console.log(err);
    return <div></div>;
  }
};

export default CustomAnimePlayer;

Usage and Customization

Now that we have our CustomAnimePlayer component, you can integrate it into your Next.js application wherever you want to display anime videos. To do this, simply import the component and include it in your JSX.

Here's an example of how you might use it:

import React from 'react';
import CustomAnimePlayer from './CustomAnimePlayer';

const AnimePage = () => {
  // Define options for the video player
  const playerOptions = {
    // Specify video source, poster, and other configurations
    // ...
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Anime Episode Title</h1>
      <CustomAnimePlayer option={playerOptions} />
    </div>
  );
};

export default AnimePage;

Conclusion

In this article, we've explored how to create a custom anime video player with Artplayer in a Next.js application. This custom player allows you to deliver a seamless anime streaming experience with features like quality control, skipping sections, and more. You can further customize and enhance it to suit your specific requirements.

Now, go ahead and level up your anime streaming platform with this custom player and provide your users with an exceptional viewing experience!

Happy coding!