PINP

PinP, short for picture-in-picture, is a display feature that lets a video play inside a small, always-visible window while the surrounding content remains on screen. The secondary video typically appears above the main interface, enabling multitasking and continuous monitoring of a primary stream.

In most implementations, users can activate PinP via a dedicated button in the video player or through a system or keyboard shortcut. The PiP window is usually resizable and draggable, allowing placement in a preferred screen corner. It generally includes basic controls to pause, play, or close the window, and sometimes offers options to mute audio or switch to full video.

Standards and platforms: The feature is governed on the web by the Picture-in-Picture specifications. The HTML video element can requestPictureInPicture() and the document can exitPictureInPicture(). Major browsers such as Chrome, Edge, Safari, and newer Firefox versions support the capability to varying degrees. In addition to web implementations, operating system level PiP features can apply across apps on some devices, improving cross-application visibility of video content.

Applications and usage: PinP is widely used in streaming websites, standalone media players, and video conferencing tools to allow viewers to continue watching video while interacting with other content. It is common on desktop and tablet platforms, and is often integrated into native or web-based video players for both paid and free content.

Limitations: Support can vary by device, browser, and content protection schemes. Some DRM-restricted streams may disable PiP, and accessibility and performance considerations can affect the user experience. Window sizing and z-order behavior may differ across operating systems.

See also: Picture-in-Picture, Picture-in-Picture API.