Smart Youtube is a WordPress Video plugin that allows you to easily insert videos/playlists into your post, comments and in your RSS feed. The plugin is designed to be small and fast and not use any external resources.
Smart Youtube is one of the most popular WordPress plugins, with more than 1,000,000 downloads.
From version 4.0 Smart Youtube changed the name to Smart Youtube PRO and now also supports playback of Youtube, Vimeo, Metacafe, Liveleak and Facebook high quality videos, works on iPhone&iPad, produces xHTML valid code (unlike YouTube embed code), allows you to view videos in fullscreen, has robust widget support and much more.
The videos will be embedded in your RSS feed as well, and if this is not support by the reader you can choose to have video link and/or video preview screenshot displayed instead.
Main Features
- Easily embeds YouTube, Vimeo, Metacafe, Liveleak and Facebook videos (normal/HD mode)
- Works on iPhone, iPad and iPod
- Embed YouTube playlist (normal/HD)
- Supports latest high quality video protocols (360p and HD quality 720p)
- Allows full YouTube customization (colors, border, size, full screen...)
- Supports video deep linking (starting at desired point with &start=time parameter)
- Supports migrated blogs from WordPress.com
- Supports migration from other Youtube plugins such as wp-youtube
- Extract video thumbnails in your archive/category posts
- Provides a sidebar widget for videos as well
- Produces xHTML valid code
- Very fast and light, no extra scripts needed
Example
You can discuss all plugin related issues in the wordpress plugin forums.
Screenshot
Download
Installation & Usage
- Upload the whole plugin folder to your /wp-content/plugins/ folder.
- Go to the Plugins page and activate the plugin.
- Use the Options page to change RSS feed options
- When you want to display Youtube video in your post, paste the video link with httpv:// (notice the 'v')
Example: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00000000
0000000 part is your video REF#
The video will be automatically embedded to your post in the proper way.
If you want to post a high/HD (DVD quality, 720p) quality video you would use httpvh:// ('vh' for video high resolution)
To embed a playlist use extension 'vp' (eg. httpvp://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=528026B4F7B34094)
To use video deep linking just add &start=time parameter at the end of url. For example httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWfksMD4PAg&start=30 will start the video 30 seconds in.
Additionally, you can set how do you want the video to be displayed in your RSS feed. Smart Youtube can show the preview image of the video (automatically grabbed from Youtube), the link to the video, or both. I recommend enabling only the preview image.
Vimeo
httpv://vimeo.com/27287078
Metacafe
httpvh://vww.metacafe.com/watch/7815470/harry_potter_and_the_deathly_hallows_dvd_interview/
Liveleak
httpv://www.liveleak.com/view?i=cad_1322822486
Changelog
= 4.0 =
* Major release
* Added support for Vimeo, Metacafe, Liveleak and Facebook videos
* Now parses http:// and httpv:// videos jsut the same
* Option to autoplay only the first video on the page
* Exctract Video thumbnails
* Show video is Colorbox
* New much better, sidebar Widget support
= 3.9.1 =
Support for WiziApp.
= 3.8 =
* Support for new IFRAME embed code
* Support for HD playlists (httpvhp)
* Support for new play formats (1280x745 & 960x745)
v3.5
- Changes to Iphone video embed
Extra
- Visit my other interesting WordPress Plugins.
- Looking for a WordPress Expert ?
991 Comments
I would like to know if there is a way to embed youtube video with auto play but to adjust the volume level from either mute to loudest ( 1-10). Thanks for the help!
Hi, very good plugin which I use since a long time.
Juste one thing. I'm Swiss/french guy and I had to translate the plugin in French. The probleme is, as you don't use gettext functions (po/mo files), each time I update the plugin I have to modifiy the file "smartyoutube.class.php" again.
Maybe for the next update could you use gettext function.
By the way, if you do it, write me, I could give you ma french traduction which you can include in you package.
Thanks a lot for all your job.
Hervé
Hi, I use another plugin but it has trouble with iPhone.
The thing I like about the other plugin is that it will randomly select from one of the 4 or 5 videos I put in the list and then display them on the site. Will you add this ability?
Hi Jen
I didn't have time to update the plugin lately but I am looking for major update with new feature in 4-6 weeks.
Hi all,
does anyone know the Bug by MAC-Useres/MAC-PCs ?
If a Mac User klicks on a embedded Video in my BLOG, the Blog site changes to YouTube.
Windows User can view the Video on the embedded site in my Blog!
(Sorry for my bad english)
The problem appears when you create a link instead of just pasting the URL
heya,
is there any possibility to turn regular video urls without the added 'v' into embeded clips? I would like my site visitors easily insert videos in their comments so it is not really cool to ask them to add v or hv. any solution?
Hmmm...can't get the sidebar widget code to show up in Thesis 1.8 site. Any thoughts as to why that might be?
Normally its not theme dependant. Usual procedure is to try disabling other plugins.
Unfortunately that made no difference. I disabled all plugins (with the exception of Akismet) and Smart YouTube still doesn't show in the sidebar.
Excellent plugin. Been using it since release and love it but for one thing. I use static front pages and the (httpv etc html ) shows when truncated and set to left right center where ever I put the code.
Ive been trying to solve this for months but I am a real novice.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Hi Vladimir
I am not sure what I am doing wrong, but when I try to embed a youtube video into my post.. nothing happens....
I have followed your instructions but am obviously doing something wrong...are you able to send me step by step instructions please
Any insight would be much appreciated:)
Cheers
Laura
Very nice plugin congrats!
One question. How can i use that plugin in my php code?
If i have a variable like this: $video = httpvp://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=528026B4F7B34094, and i want to transform it with your plugin how can i do that?
Thanks
I will introduce support for this in next major release.
Hello. Great Plugin.
I'm wonder to know if there any plugin conflict between Smart YouTube and Pro Player? When i installed the last one Smart Tube stop working.
Thanx
Olik
Great plugin. I am still testing it to see if there is a way to have different size videos in different posts or pages. Is there a command to override the default size?
Hi Vladimir,
The plugin worked first time, however I am trying to place an AWeber form side by side with it - as a basic lead capture page. Any ideas how I get the form alongside the Video?
Regards,
Andy.
I really appreciate you for this. It works. My students will be pleased. Thank you.
Hi Vladimir -
I'm having a problem with the plugin. If you pull up the site - http://www.atlantajazzguitar.com/atlantaguitarteacher , you'll see that each video is only approximately 1/3 the size
of the original video window. I've tried it on IE, as well as Mozilla. Do you know what the problem is?
Thanks,
Dave Lockwood
thx dude for the plugin! very usefull! XD
You are welcome dude :P
Can I add multiple videos to the sidebar widget.
For example:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XonqfLAPOJA
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT0qjD2GQaY
Yes you can.
How can you add multiple videos to the sidebar widget? I can only add it in the same widget, so with the same title. Is it also possible to add multiple videos with different titles?
You currently can use only one widget - this will be enhanced in future versions.
I was still hoping to hear from you whether you could include this web site :
http://www.nmatv.com
in your list of sites that can support your plugin. I really hope that you will consider this request.
Thank you
Is there a way to include captions ?
What captions do you refer to Michelle?
I was wondering if you could tell me if your plugin supports this particular video web site....NMATV. I use this site for most of my videos for my blog. If it does not support this site do you anticipate any modifications to your plugin that will allow it. Thank you
Is there a way to have smart youtube display multiple thumbnails of youtube videos in this fashion:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/my-youtube-playlist/
The author of this plugin has done a good job in birthing the concept, but is unable to really do much by way of support or add features, e.g. highlight thumbnail currently playing, flexible grouping styles of thumbnails (horizontal, vertical listing) etc.
Very nice idea will see what I can do.
Is there a way to turn youtube links automatically into videos?
In the widget function, I suggest applying the title and text filters as follows in order to ensure compatibility with multi-language plugins (among others). Code not fully tested but appears to work for the intended purpose, and follows what is done for the text widget.
function widget($args = array())
{
extract ($args);
$text = apply_filters( 'widget_text', $this->check($this->options['wtext'], 1));
$title = apply_filters( 'widget_title', $this->options['wtitle']);
echo
$before_widget,
$before_title, $title, $after_title,
$text,
$after_widget;
}
Wondering if there's a way to have smartyoutube generate a thumbnail of the youtube video that shows up as one of the thumbnail options for the article when someone shares the blog post?
Damn it's nice to see a plug in that just works and is simple to use!
When I use the plugin, the play button is not functional in google chrome, although it works in IE and firefox. When I use the youtube embed function, the button works across all browsers. Is this a known bug?