logo
IntroductionHow to add CSS or JavaScript files to an Android/iOS projectHow to combat autoplay policiesWhy does fullscreen not behave as expected on iOSWhy does the Network API not work on iOS devicesWhy does Chromecast not work on iOS Chrome?Why can't I select another video quality on iOS/tvOS?Is YouTube supportedWhy does the player load only one audio track (even though there are several in the manifest)Is it possible to see 360 degrees photo with THEOplayerWhy the Visibility API does not work through an iframe on Safari and IE11What is an impressionHow to know whether a live stream is playingWhich error related events does the player exposeWhy did my subtitles stop workingHow does Media Engagement Index (MEI) affect Autoplay on ChromeWhat does the error message 'Unknown CDM error' meanWhat does the error message 'Something went wrong with Native playback' meanWhy are not all response headers exposedWhy does the currentTime seem off in my livestream & what can I do about itHow to remove CORS restrictions from a reproduction streamWhich network calls (or requests) does THEOplayer doWhy does the playback not work when using the Chrome iPhone/iPad simulatorWhat does the error message 'can only be initiated by a user gesture' imply? Can I still force the desired actionHow to remove unwanted CC track in iOS or SafariWhy do I get a gray play button in my Android WebView and how to remove it?MediaTek limitationsHow to use ProGuard with THEOplayer Android SDKSelf-hosting and versioning of THEOplayerDoes THEOplayer support EXT-X-DATERANGECan clipping be used on a playlistCan timeline thumbnails be made available before playback startWhat are the benefits of preloadingWhat are the player seeking and seeked events and when are they firedCan we use HLS or DASH adsHow to change text in THEOplayerChange text when AirplayingITP2.1 problems using THEOplayerRemoving context menu/'Powered by THEOplayer v2...'What aspects of THEOplayer do we need to take into account to deploy a proper Content Security Policy (CSP)How can we avoid that the player keeps looking for chunks/segments if they are not foundCan we show a custom message on 403 on mp4Can we prevent UpNext feature from redirectingIs it possible to preload VOD content while the pre-roll is playingWhy is my video not playing automaticallyIs it possible to have multiple player instances play at the same timeIs it a problem if the viewer pauses a live stream for longer than the DVR windowTHEOplayer Features & ModulesChromecast on my webplayer does not work any longer despite no change in my implementationHow to track network errorsWhat is the support for WowzaHow to use the CDN fallback/backup stream featureHow to apply accurate buffering strategyHow can I distribute 4K content?What is the collaboration between Azure Media Services and THEOplayerIs Portrait mode supportedHow to prevent screen recordingThe provided video source is incompatible with the license for this playerPage and Source domainsWhat does the error message “Something went wrong determining the initial period of the provided MPEG-DASH stream” meanWhy is my PlayReady stream not working in Chromium Edge?Which subtitle and CC formats are supported on native SafariHow to navigate through the documentation and resourcesHow to create a (great) ticketHow to investigate a ticketWhat are the limitations of AirPlayWhat are the Edgio challengesHow to use the Media Session APIHow to use THEOplayer iOS SDK on an M1 macWidevine CDM deprecation notice for old browser versions

Can we show a custom message on 403 on mp4

Yes, this is possible, but not as easy as for DASH and HLS. To address this specific use case no internal THEOplayer tool exists yet (2019) and a separate XHR call needs to be done to determine the exact status of the request. Custom texts, overlays and buttons can be showed on the player following the instructions from the related linked resource.

It is easier to address this question in two steps: detection and message.

Detection

The current (2019) error detection and differentiation in THEOplayer is not yet as specific as we would like and as detailed as some particular use cases, such as this one, may have a use for.

For HLS and DASH, the Network API (see Resources) can be used to intercept, filter and “read” the requests one is interested in, to determine whether something should happen (an error message, for example).

This is not possible with mp4, however, as it is played natively and the Network API cannot be applied. The solution in this case is to do a separate XHR request and read its status. Something along the lines of:

var XMLHttpRequestObject
var requestObject

function reqListener() {
  XMLHttpRequestObject = this
}
requestObject = new XMLHttpRequest()
requestObject.addEventListener("load", reqListener)
requestObject.open("GET", "https://httpstat.us/403?sleep=100")
requestObject.send()

XMLHttpRequestObject.status // result should be 403 - this may be used for a control that, if true, prints on the overlay the desired error message.

One disadvantage of this is that additional data is requested and it may slow down the page and increase the start-up time, especially if you implement an autoplay behavior.

Message

Back to our specific use case, once you have determined that your mp4 returns a 403 status, you will need to add a custom overlay on the player, showing a message of your choosing. This is because the generic error message “Something went wrong during native playback” that will show up is no longer editable at this point (see remarks), so you will need to cover it up with your own message. This can be done player following the instructions from the related linked resource: “Adding buttons and text to the default UI”.

Remarks

  • This specific use case is different from the more generic personalization of texts and messages on the player, that can be done through language localization (please check the linked resources). Language localization is applied at the moment in which the player instance is created, so it cannot be used to alter texts once the player has been generated.

Resources

The following resources provide more information:

github
Make sure to follow us on GitHub!
THEO-logo-white
twitter
facebook
linkedin
Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Leuven
New York
Singapore
Barcelona