There are a number of new features, some of them cleaning up changes made recently to work around some issues that users were having. For example, you can now turn on and off options to use HTTPS instead of HTTP. I’ve also taken the opportunity to improve the error reporting as well.

Away from that, new features include more specific options for thumbnails – you now have 5 thumbnail types to choose from – and, most importantly, support for the latest API changes.

Recently, you may have noticed that the default YouTube player has changed from a light grey to a much darker scheme. At the same time YouTube updated their player API to allow users to switch between light and dark themes. They also took the opportunity to add a feature where you can change the colour of the progress bar from red to white. Both of these are now supported by my plugin, so if you want the old light colour back you can do.

However, whilst testing this I can across what looked like a bug with YouTube’s API. I couldn’t get the light theme to work with the white progress bar – the progress bar would always appear in red. I double checked my own code to ensure it wasn’t my issue but I don’t believe it is.

YouTube’s own blog entry suggest that this entry is valid…

I opened this up in their forum where another user of the API confirmed my find. However, over 24 hours later, I have yet to receive a response from YouTube.

I’m therefore releasing the plugin as-is but with mention of this issue in the instructions.

Update (19/8/11 @ 19:36): Google have provided an update on the bug…

This is a bug, and it is scheduled to be fixed next Wednesday
evening.

Cheers,
-Jeff Posnick, YouTube API Team

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Months in the making, it’s been totally re-written with a host of new features. It’s also compatible with a wide range of existing plugins, in case you wish to migrate! Changes include…

• XHTML and HTML5 compliant – works with all the latest browsers
• Multiple embedding methods available – OBJECT, IFRAME and EmbedPlus
• Allow users to add videos to comments
• Build your own playlists and play them back however you want
• Create multiple profiles – use them for different videos to get the exact style that you want
• Google compatible metadata is added to the video output – great for SEO!
• Code is cached for maximum performance
• Using a different YouTube plugin? Documentation and tools are provided to help you migrate to Artiss YouTube Embed
• And much, much more!

For more details please visit the official page on this site OR visit the WordPress page. If you have any question, why not visit the forum?

You can also learn more about some of the features…

1. Embedding Options
2. Profiles & Lists
3. Why this plugin?

That list link is especially good, as I compare this plugin against the competition (I hope fairly) – see why you should switch!

Join the Forum discussion on this post

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When updating this plugin I took the opportunity to look at the top 10 most popular rival plugins. I documented the features of each, ensuring that mine also had them (with only a few exceptions, where I felt they weren’t appropriate). I then added on the extra features that YouTube Embed has. The resulting spreadsheet is below and I believe it to be a fair representation. As I say at the beginning, if I’ve missed anything off or anything is incorrect, feel free to let me know.

So, let’s look at what this tell us.

First of all, one third of the plugins don’t work with all video IDs (I’ve, in the past, identified some YouTube IDs which WordPress has a habit of converting when used within shortcodes)

Secondly, one half of the plugins haven’t been updated this year. This may not be a problem, but the fact that most of the alternative plugins use the now defunct AS2 YouTube player would suggest that an update is due!

Lastly, YouTube Embed has over 6 times more features than the next “feature packed” YouTube embedding plugin. Yet, it remains simple to use.

Still using an alternative? It’s time to swap.

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During this article any reference to YE is indicating YouTube Embed (and, more specifically, the currently unreleased version 2).

Part 2 : Profiles & Lists

Profiles Options Screen

Profiles

With previous versions of YE you had a default profile that you could modify. If when embedding a video you didn’t specify any of the parameters then the default would be taken from this profile.

With the new YE you can now create multiple profiles – each having their own set of specific values. When embedding a video you can then say which profile to use.

So, you may have a standard default profile but another for widescreen videos, which is just the same but has a different size ratio.

There are a good few options available for each profile – everything from video size to whether you want (and how deep you want) a drop shadow on the video. The screenshot to the right shows some of what is available, but this is a partial list (and may change before the plugin is released).

Lists Options Screen

Lists

YE already supports YouTube generated playlists. However, you have little or no control over them (especially if they’re not your own). With the new version of YE you can now create your own lists of videos.

You simply supply a name for your list and then a list of video URLs or IDs – you can’t save this list until all the videos are checked and validated. Once done, instead of embedding using a URL or video ID you simply use the list name. By default, each video will then play in turn. However, parameters exist to allow you to play them back in a random order OR play just one video, but a random one.

A screen shot is to the list but may change as the plugin is completed.

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During this article any reference to YE is indicating YouTube Embed (and, more specifically, the currently unleased version 2).

Embedding Options (may change!)

Part 1 : Embedding Options

YE has the same embedding methods as before – PHP function call, widgets or the shortcode [youtube]. However, there are now a number of extra methods that can be used, many of which are to allow easy migration from other plugins.

In a later article I’ll talk about the multiple profiles that you can set up. In the meantime, it’s worth noting that for each of the following methods, a default profile can be specified allowing each to display differently.

Embedding with a URL

WordPress, by default, allows you to embed YouTube URLs simply by specifying them on their own line in a post. This uses some built-in oAuth functionality but there is no ability to tailor the output.

With YE, you will be given an option (switched off by default) to override this functionality and allow YE to take over. Any YouTube URLs then added to posts will then be shown using YE and any defaults you’ve assigned.

Embed in Comments

If you’d like your users to be able to embed videos within comments, activating an option in YE (again, defaults to off) will allow specification of a URL (as per the previous method) to create a YouTube video. With its own default profile, you can assign a video size that fits neatly with your comment output.

Further Migration Options

This is the big one. The bad boy. It allows you to migrate to YE from other plugins – the aim is to be compatible with 25 of the most popular alternatives. For further details on which plugins are supported and how to go about it, I’ve set up a dedicated page.

There are 2 ways to allow this…

1. Alternative Shortcodes

Many plugins simply work by using a different shortcode than YE. Some have multiple shortcodes – often one for defining HD quality video. Therefore YE offers you the ability specify 1 or 2 additional shortcodes.

So, as an example, if you’re migrating from WP YouTube Player, you simply set up an alternative shortcode of tube and you’ll find that any posts that worked under your previous plugin will now work with YE.

Some plugins have alternatives names for parameters that YE uses – e.g. the ID may be specified as url or youtubeurl. YE will automatically use these alternatives.

2. Non-shortcode Embedding

I couldn’t think of a better name for this but, essentially, some plugins use embedding methods which isn’t a straight URL and it’s not a shortcode. An example is Smart Youtube which uses a modified URL format – essentially, adding an extra letter to the protocol name at the beginning of the URL.

Turning on this option will activate detection of these embedding methods.

As it adds a slight performance hit – searching each post for all these different embedding types – this is switched off by default and should only be used if you’re migrating from one of the plugins that this works with.

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It has garnered quite a few positive reviews. Even the negative points, however, can be ignored when you consider the current selling price – it has a RRP of £179.99!

It has 8GB of memory (not expandable, but enough to hold 2 hours of video), records at 720p resolution, a 2″ screen, HDMI connection and a built-in USB connector. It comes with a  silicon case and editing software.

Why so cheap? Simply because it’s not a current model. It’s still supported by Creative, however, and if buying one the first thing I’d do is head to their site and download the latest firmware and applications.

But that doesn’t stop it from being a bargain – if you’re in the market for a pocket video camera, I’d get one now!

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But then I had an idea about some performance improvements.

Then I thought it would be a good idea to compare the features of my plugin with the competition – in this case the top 10 most downloaded plugins that allow YouTube embedding. As well as looking up the instructions, I’m also installing each to get a good feel of them – however, I’m not going to take this as an opportunity to “diss” alternatives. Instead, I will present a straight forward comparison of features between the plugins.

First I had to identify them, so I started looking around WordPress.org. Not easy – it’s all based on tags and different authors use different tags to identify them. However, as I looked around, it became apparent that there were many out there with USP’s – one’s that I’d missed. So the spreadsheet is continuing, but I’m also looking at around 41 other plugins available to see what features they have that mine doesn’t. My intention is to launch a product that doesn’t have any features that the others don’t – unless I don’t think they’re worth it

So, more work to do. The words “back” and “rod” spring to mind.

None-the-less work continues and I hope YouTube Embed version 2 will be released soon.

Update: Further progress is now being tracked on the forum – read more here.

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Like 1.4, it’s a choc-full update…

• The post editor now has YouTube button, which inserts the YouTube shortcode (this can be switched off in the options screen)
• I’ve added a new option to disable keyboard controls
• I’ve also added an option to supply a video ratio, in case height or width are not supplied – the missing parameter will then be calculated using this ratio. If you don’t supply a ratio then it’s calculated using your default height and width.
• You can now add  a download link (for video and playlist) using a function call or shortcode
• On the options screen you can specify which set of parameters the demonstration video uses (i.e. “normal” or EmbedPlus). This allows you to try your options on a different video type without switching to it.

The next release is probably going to be version 2, with a LOT of new options and a complete re-write of the documentation and major changes to the code.

Full details are on the plugin’s dedicated page.

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First of all, let me explain YouTube embedding.

If you have your own website or blog chances are that you’ve uploaded or seen a video that you’d really like to add to your site.

Well, YouTube, via an “Embed” button next to the video, provide the code you need to do this. You can also switch on and off different options to configure exactly how you’d like it to appear.

What you end up with is a video on your site that offers the same options as it would have on the YouTube site.

Step forward EmbedPlus – they provide alternative embedding code that will add extra functionality to the resulting video. To achieve this the YouTube video is converted to Flash and delivered via EmbedPlus themselves – if the viewers device doesn’t support Flash then EmbedPlus will fall back to the standard YouTube embed code.

The additional options that EmbedPlus adds includes…

• Instant Replay – replay an event soon after it happens.
• Slow Motion – instantly watch videos at a slower rate to more clearly see what happens.
• Movable Zoom – added accessibility. Dynamically magnifies the area you point over. Use it to get a close look at objects, writing, and things like moving athletes.
• Crop – cut/splice/chop only the particularly interesting part of a video to show during playback.
• Scene Skipping – like DVD chapter buttons, click these to skip to marked times.
• Real-time Reactions – enable this button to show viewers the latest Internet reactions, right inside the player

If all of this wasn’t enough they now have a great new feature named Sweet Spot Marking. If you don’t use the Scene Skipping function this will create markers in the video based on social references. In other words they automatically analyse discussions about the video and mark positions in the video that people are talking about.

To demonstrate this functionality, below are 2 videos. The first uses the standard YouTube embedding and the latter uses EmbedPlus.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

EmbedPlus is still a “work in progress” however, and they are promising further features soon. They’d be really interested in feedback so please feel free to contact them.

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Draft version of the new site design

Since the beginning of the year I’ve been working on a revised version of the site. More than just a theme change, this has been a review at every site component. I’m now nearing the end of this work and will launch the new site design soon. However, I thought I’d take the opportunity to provide details of some of the things that have changed – bear in mind that I have a list of 70 changes that I made (many of them individually wide ranging) and 17 things that I didn’t.

Theme

First up is the theme. It’s darker and much more professional. Images have been reduced to save bandwidth (yours and mine!) and new fonts are used. A new “social bar” in the sidebar provides quick access to the sites Twitter and RSS feeds along with the PayPal donation option.

I’ve also implemented “margin reduction”. The site uses a new width, designed to fit perfectly horizontally on screens with a resolution of 1024 pixels or higher. This is in combination with a reduction in blank margins, fitting more information on the screen.

A new drop-down menu has been introduced, including quick access to blog categories and the most popular WordPress plugin pages.

Oh, and XHTML validation has been fixed

A screenshot can be found to the right of the new design – this isn’t the final

Performance

Performance changes have been critical. The site now has a YSlow A Rating (that made me very happy!) with improved caching and compression. I also copy external scripts (e.g. those provided by Google, Twitter and Facebook) to my own server, so they can be compressed and delivered quicker. Numerous plugins were removed after investigation into what was hogging resources the most.

A bizarre change, but bandwidth has been reduced by changing the 404 error page. Originally showing a large image, this now contains an embedded YouTube video. The 404 page is visited every time an invalid page is visited, so a reduction in this page size can make big savings.

Plugins

For those of you who are interested in my WordPress plugin work, 2 big changes have been made.

First up, I’m now using Mantis Bug Tracker to record bugs and enhancements. As part of this I’ve written some code to integrate the results of this directly into the plugin pages on the site – at the bottom of each it will list any bugs or enhancements for that plugin.

Secondly, I’ve added a forum for plugin discussion. Using comments tended to get a bit crowded after a while so comments on plugin pages are now closed (but viewable for historic reasons!) – instead there’s now a link to the forum.

Comments

Speaking of comments – the commenting system has been much improved with a better layout (for those WordPress geeks, I’m now using the automated comment features that WordPress offers, rather than the manual method that was implemented before).

I also now show how many comments are awaiting approval.

Reviews

Any reviews on the site included hidden Google “microcode” – information that Google can pick up and integrate into search results. This was present before but how now been improved.

Anything Else?

Tonnes more, but I’m now going to list them all – when the new site designed launches, I’m sure you’ll find them

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