Smart Phones May Not Display Videos With Old YT Embed Code
Just a few days ago I’ve noticed that the latest video which I had uploaded to YouTube and later embedded on my blog wasn’t being displayed on my smart phone. All other videos embedded on my blog were displaying normally at the same time as the newest one was not. Weird.
I suspected that something was wrong with the code, perhaps I made a mistake in copying and pasting it. So I did it again just to make sure the mistake was not mine. But the same result occurred.
The video was displaying in all browsers on desk top computers but not in smart phones.
I started suspecting that perhaps it was the old embed code which I have been using until then with no ill effect. But why would all other videos on my blog display normally, they too were embedded using the old embed code and the latest embedded video would not?
The answer to that question can only be guessed, projected and theorized. Maybe YouTube and Google know but they aren’t talking to anyone.
The fact is that when I replaced the embed code of the latest video from the old one to the new, the video was being displayed on smart phones.
If you are embedding YouTube videos on your blog or your website and have been using the old embed code out of habit or because you thought that it was better, perhaps it’s time to switch to using the new embed code for you too if you want to be sure that your videos will be displayed on mobile devices.
While my story above may not seem to make sense, it is a true story. Reality is often stranger than fiction. Why all the videos but one would display in smart phones using the same type of code is a mystery.
I will now embed the same video, using the new embed code and then the old embed code.
If, for some reason, both videos will display on smart phones then the mystery will deepen and I may then delete one of them and write below what happened.
The video shows Greek food at a Greek Cypriot restaurant in Richmond BC:
Video embedded with new YouTube embed code:
Same video as above embedded with old YouTube embed code:
The second video using the old YouTube embed code is indeed not showing on my smart phone. Is it showing on yours?
Update: August 31 and September 01, 2013: I have now confirmed beyond the shadow of a doubt that the videos that had been uploaded prior to a couple of weeks ago and embedded with the old YouTube embed code are displayed on smart phones. However, any more recently uploaded videos that were embedded with the use of the old embed code are not displaying on smart phones.
Somebody pointed out to me that the old embed code means that the videos are flash videos and that flash videos don’t display on iPhones, for example. But the fact is that the YouTube videos embedded with the old embed code until recently are displayed on smart phones such as the iPhone and they are flash videos too.
But recently uploaded videos embedded with the old embed code aren’t, such as the second video in this post. Just check it out on your smart phone.
Please leave a comment. Maybe you never dreamed of using the old embed code and you think I was crazy for using it. Maybe you have been using the old embed code and have never realized a video may not be displayed in mobile phone. Let me know.
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Authored by Vance Sova
Filed under: Random Stuff-News-Views-Rants
Hi Vance,
That’s one thing I failed to test until now… Fortunately my video is showing on my iphone, but I had to check after reading your post 🙂
I held a video challenge a couple of years ago and during it Eamon Diamond gave us some tips on using embed codes. The one I was using from YouTube would need loading every time I switched from normal view to HTML whilst editing the post prior to publishing. The one Eamon shared starts with [embed and ends the same way (won’t enter full code as it’s not right thing to do).
Using this code allows me to switch views (in admin panel) without fear of losing the video during editing.
If you want the code, or a link to his video let me know and I’ll sort it out for you Vance.I have the code saved on a text doc and I just replace the video URL each time.
Works a treat mate.
All the best Vance,
Barry
Barry Wells´s last blog post ..Stop The Presses: Start Previewing Those Blog Posts
[Reply]
Vance Reply:
September 3rd, 2013 at 12:24 am
Hi Barry,
Thank you so much for the helpful comment. I will ask you for the code if any problems arise. For now it looks like if I use the new embed code from now with any new videos, they should show up in smart phones.
What is puzzling is that the old embed code works with videos uploaded up to a few weeks ago. They all show up in my smart phone. It’s the newly uploaded videos for which the old embed code no longer works in smart phones.
This makes no sense and yet it is so. I have updated the post so if you have the time you can read that.
Cheers,
Vance.
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Hey mate,
Thanks for sharing. Thankfully I am using the new codes so they are working just fine 🙂 Big phew!
Of course, I only started Youtubing recently and maybe that’s why I am ‘safe’.
Anyway, thanks for sharing mate.
Reginald´s last blog post ..5 Insights You Should Know About Make Money Blogging
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Vance Reply:
September 3rd, 2013 at 12:28 am
Hi Reginald,
Thank you for the visit and comment. It’s good that you are using the new embed codes. It only makes sense since you are new to YouTube.
All the best to you, mate.
I look forward to your next visit and comment.
Cheers,
Vance.
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Hey vance,
You are correct, the problem is that the old embed code is flash based, while the new one if html5 based, most of the mobile devices especially apple’s products do not support flash, and while nearly 40% of the internet now is on mobile Youtube had no choice but to change technology.
html5 is the future or so what it seems, but we are still in a transition phase, meaning old pc browsers like the old internet explorers do not support the new embed code, and some old mobile devices won’t support the new embed code either.
this is a programming fix, we try to serve the video according each device.
or you can use your way , like you just did, embed the video twice using both techniques.
Many thanks and Best regards.
Mitch´s last blog post ..Free CV Builder, Free Resume Builder, cv templates
[Reply]
Vance Reply:
September 3rd, 2013 at 12:34 am
Hi Mitch,
Thank you for that knowledgeable comment.
I have noticed that the old codes are flash based but they still worked up until a few weeks ago. I mean the videos embeded using them were showing in mobile devices. If fact videos that use them that were uploaded and embedded up to a few weeks ago are still showing in those devices.
But videos that I uploaded recently and then embedded them using the old YouYube code aren’t showing in smart phones.
That is the mystery. If you can shed a light on that, it would be great.
Cheers,
Vance.
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Thats some pretty handy information to have I would have never thought about youtube like this and I test like crazy! Thanks for the heads up.
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Hi Vance!
I believe this actually happened quite a while ago when Apple declared that its devices would no longer support any Flash files.
Still, it’s nice to know that you posted it on your blog, allowing anyone who happens to miss the news to discover it. I really appreciate it.
BTW, flash videos are still very much playable actually but you will need the right app and browser for that.
Keep up the good work. Will check out your blog some time later.
Setiawan Aguz´s last blog post ..Top 3 Android Timer Apps with Beautiful Custom UI
[Reply]
Vance Reply:
October 10th, 2013 at 11:17 am
Thanks for the comment Setiawan,
I don’t know if you read my post very carefully and noticed that I wrote that the videos that were embedded up to certain time and date even though they are flash and used the old embed code are still working now even on the iPhone. It’s only the recently embedded videos that use the old embed code that aren’t being displayed.
I will no longer use the old embed codes o course but it was as habit to use them because they worked.
Cheers,
Vance
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You should always use the iframe versione of youtube videos because they load fast and they’re 100% compatible with mobile phones
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Hi Vance!
I try it use your new way and it show on my phone, thank you!
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Hmmm. Never really paid much attention to that cause I don’t embed videos much but like Cartomante, I prefer to use the iframe version. But thanks for letting us know Vance. Appreciate it.
Cheers,
Mike
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I looked in media.php and compared it to previous versions. It appears the only or primary change was adding $post_ID to this:
return apply_filters( ’embed_oembed_html’, $cache, $url, $attr, $post_ID );
return apply_filters( ’embed_oembed_html’, $html, $url, $attr, $post_ID );
Not sure if it’s related in any way, but it is definitely an issue with the postmeta cache value. If I delete the *_oembed_* entry from the wp_postmeta table for a post, then the video shows up again.
For now, I did a very dirty fix of adding an sql delete query to the top of my single.php file… Far from pretty or ideal… but at least the videos work again
[Reply]
Vance Reply:
November 5th, 2013 at 11:48 am
Hi Kuldeep,
Thanks for the comment. I’m not sure how many people will actually understand and try to do what you wrote. The best thing to do is to use the new embed code. As I said in the post, the old embed code when used prior to certain date is not affecting the videos and their being displayed now. It’s only after certain date that the videos using the old embed code aren’t displayed. This fact is puzzling to me and I don’t know why it’s so. If you are able to shed some light on that, please do. It will be much appreciated.
Cheers,
Vance.
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I don’t know the difference, but my old videos and new videos all play just fine on my Android.
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Wow… YouTube (or Google) needs to fix this ASAP! Because the number of mobile users is growing more and more each and every day and we do not want to disappoint them when they try to view a YouTube video on our websites.
Thanks for the post.
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Vance Reply:
December 2nd, 2013 at 12:23 pm
Hi Abu Bah,
There’s really nothing to fix, except that since the old embed code is not working as it did until a few months ago, they should not have it there as an option.
Vance.
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Oh I need to fix the embedd code in my old websites. Thanks for informing.
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It’s working on my smartphone. At least I don’t have to be in bad mood again! 😀
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It’s normal, like you said before that the format of the video (old embed code) is flash (.flv). it’s not displayed on Your smartphone because nothing installed program that can read it. However, it’s better to use the new youtube embed code, more perfect.
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Thats some pretty handy information to have I would have never thought about youtube like this and I test like crazy! Thanks for the heads up.
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it does work on my phone but still thanks for the post
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great! it’s working on my smartphone 🙂
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Thanks for the heads up ! It’s working on my smartphone.
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