The BoxCast embedded player has different auto-play behaviors available in the player settings. With the three different options, you can decide if (and how) the video begins playing when a visitor loads the page.
Do Not Auto-Play: The player will not try to play automatically so the viewer will have to press play to begin. This option is the default for recorded broadcasts.
Try with Sound: The player will attempt to play the stream automatically so if the browser prevents auto-play, the viewer will have to click or tap the player to begin. This option is the default for live broadcasts.
Try with Sound or Muted: The player will attempt to play the video automatically. If the browser prevents auto-play, the player will mute itself and try to play the stream again. Many browsers allow auto-play if the video is muted.
Due to web browser policy restrictions and evolving implementations, the auto-play behavior is not always consistent and we cannot guarantee that all viewers will have the same auto-play experience. This is true of both desktop browsers as well as tablets and mobile devices (where often the restrictions are even more limiting).
Some key limitations to be aware of:
Browsers generally try to be smart enough to know if the individual user probably wants to watch the video (using a Media Engagement Index). If the visitor has historically skipped over videos or stopped them from playing, the browser is less likely to allow the broadcast to auto-play for them.
Browsers are generally more lenient with allowing videos to auto-play if they do not have sound or are muted.
If your site has a lot of other images, scripts, or videos on the same page as the embedded player, the other asset loading can affect the video's ability to auto-play.
Even if the implementation behaves as you expect it to, a subsequent browser release could alter the video's ability to auto-play in the future.
For those reasons, we still recommend that you aim for your desired auto-play experience using one of the options provided, but realize that the video may not auto-play exactly the same for all viewers and some may be forced to press a play button to begin watching.