Fixing Your HTML5 Video Seekbar Issues in React with TypeScript

Learn how to effectively implement an `HTML5 video seekbar` that updates dynamically as the video plays in your React and TypeScript projects.
---

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Custom HTML5 video seekbar not working as video progress

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Solving the HTML5 Video Seekbar Issue in React

If you are a developer using React with TypeScript, you might run into an issue where your custom HTML5 video seekbar does not reflect the real-time progress of your video. This can be frustrating, especially when you've already set up the seekbar to respond correctly to user input. In this post, we’ll delve into the problem, outline why it occurs, and provide a step-by-step guide on how to resolve it.

Understanding the Problem

In your implementation, the seekbar works well when you manually drag it. However, when the video plays automatically, the seekbar does not update, which is a common problem when using custom video players. This lack of synchronization can create a disjointed experience for the user, who expects the seekbar to represent the current playback position accurately.

Steps to Fix the Seekbar Functionality

Let’s break down the solution into clear and structured steps to help you get your video seekbar working seamlessly with the video playback.

1. Add an Event Listener for "timeupdate"

Video elements in HTML5 emit a timeupdate event which is fired when the current playback position changes. By adding an event listener for timeupdate, you can synchronize the seekbar with the video's playback.

In your existing code, you should ensure that the video element has an event listener for timeupdate. You can achieve this using the following code:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

2. Update the Seekbar Logic

Next, you need to ensure that your updateSeekbar function calculates the current position of the seekbar accurately based on the video's current playback time. This can be done as follows:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Final Implementation

Here’s how your final component might look after integrating these changes:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

By following these guidelines, your HTML5 video seekbar will now update dynamically as the video plays, providing a better user experience. Remember, the key steps are to correctly add the timeupdate event listener and to ensure that you calculate the seekbar value based on the current video playback time. Happy coding!