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Video thumbnails without FFmpeg.

Media Thumbnails Client Video takes the thumbnail for a video media item from a frame captured in the editor's browser. The server stores a JPEG; it never decodes the video.

Install Read the documentation

For Drupal 10.3 and 11 ยท Requires Media Thumbnails

The Regenerate Thumbnail tab of a video media item, with a video player paused on a frame and fields for the thumbnail's alt text and title.

What it does

The module is a Media Thumbnails plugin for MP4, WebM, Ogg and QuickTime videos. The browser already plays the video, so it can also draw a frame of it.

The media overview listing two video media items, each with a thumbnail taken from its own video.

  • Automatic. Choosing a video file on a media form, or in the media library, captures the frame two seconds in. Saving the media item makes it the thumbnail.
  • Pick any frame. The Regenerate Thumbnail tab plays the video so an editor can pause on the frame they want, and set its alt text.
  • Video posters. Video players for the media item show the thumbnail before they start.
  • No server tools. Hosts without FFmpeg, or that cannot run it, still get real video thumbnails.

Who it is for

Site builders on managed hosting that cannot install FFmpeg, and editors who want a video's thumbnail to show its subject rather than Media's generic video icon or a black first frame.