HTMLMediaElementrajapinnan

HTMLMediaElement is a DOM interface that represents audio or video content embedded in a web page via HTML5 media elements. It serves as the common API surface for the two concrete interfaces HTMLAudioElement and HTMLVideoElement, providing playback control, media information, and event handling in a consistent way across both media types.

Key attributes and properties describe the current state and source of the media. The src attribute specifies the media URL, while srcObject can attach a MediaStream or other media source. Other important properties include currentTime, duration, paused, volume, muted, playbackRate, and readyState. Attributes such as controls and preload influence the user interface and fetch behavior. The element also exposes buffered and seekable TimeRanges to reflect loading progress and seekability.

Methods and programmatic control include play(), pause(), and load(). The play() method returns a Promise in modern browsers and may be subject to autoplay policies requiring a user gesture. canPlayType(type) queries support for a given MIME type. While setSinkId and advanced streaming features are supported in some environments, availability varies by browser.

Events associated with HTMLMediaElement cover playback state, buffering, and metadata. Common events include play, playing, pause, ended, timeupdate, durationchange, progress, loadedmetadata, canplay, canplaythrough, volumechange, and ratechange. These events enable developers to synchronize UI, captions, and streaming logic with the media lifecycle.

Usage and scope: HTMLMediaElement underpins both <audio> and <video> elements and interacts with text tracks for captions, as well as with Media Source Extensions and other modern streaming techniques. It supports cross-origin considerations and various browser-specific features, with functionality evolving as web standards advance.