Flutter DRM Video Plugin or SDK

In today’s world of instant gratification, videos have become a go-to for people to consume content, whether it’s for learning or entertainment. People prefer to watch rather than read or listen. Whether it’s a tutorial, a movie, or a music video, when it comes to building mobile apps, ensuring video playback has become almost crucial. However, as easy as it may sound, integrating video playback into a mobile application can be challenging, especially when using Flutter. The task becomes even more challenging when you consider the different video formats, resolutions, and devices that the app will be running on.

 In this blog, I’ll explore video playback in Flutter and how VdoCipher comes into this. So, let’s dive in and discover the secrets to seamless video playback in Flutter!

What is Flutter?

Flutter is an open-source mobile app development framework by Google. It is currently very popular due to 

• Ease of development of apps across the platforms of Android, iOS, and even the web.
• Speed of development is also another factor that is pushing developers to go for flutter apps. 
• In VdoCipher’s experience, we get a higher demand for flutter integration than react-native integration.

Video Hosting and Playback is a crucial features for many mobile apps developed on flutter. VdoCipher provides a flutter video SDK that ensures smooth playback and security from illegal video downloads and screen capture.

Key Features of Flutter DRM Plugins

DRM (Digital Rights Management) plugins in Flutter are essential for protecting video content. Here’s how they typically function:

• Content Encryption: DRM ensures that video streams are encrypted, making them inaccessible to unauthorized users. This is essential for both live streaming and on-demand content.
• License Management: DRM plugins manage playback licenses, ensuring that only authorized users can access the content. This can be customized for various timeframes and content access levels.
• Secure Key Exchange: DRM relies on secure protocols to exchange decryption keys between the client and the server, ensuring that the video stream cannot be intercepted or decrypted by unauthorized parties.
• Offline Download: Some DRM systems, such as those supported by VdoCipher and PallyCon, offer secure offline download features, where videos can be stored locally in an encrypted format. Access to these downloads can be time-restricted through license expiration.

Best Practices for DRM Integration in Flutter

• Optimize for Performance: Implementing DRM can sometimes affect the app’s performance, especially with real-time key exchange during video playback. It’s crucial to balance security and performance by optimizing the decryption processes and ensuring smooth playback without lag.
• User Experience: Ensure that the DRM implementation does not negatively impact the user experience. Provide clear messages regarding content restrictions, and use dynamic watermarking features to visually deter screen recording

How to Integrate Videos with Flutter for Android and iOS Apps?

1.VdoCipher trial account – Create a trial account with VdoCipher at vdocipher.com, and upload 1 or 2 test videos to the dashboard. 

2. Integration Flutter VdoCipher video SDK – Click on the ‘embed’ button below any video in the dashboard, and go to the ‘mobile app’ section. It has the relevant SDK links and also steps on how to first integrate the backend APIs available in the ‘custom backend’ section.  Detailed steps for the SDK integration are mentioned here – https://pub.dev/packages/vdocipher_flutter

A sample projection creation video tutorial is also available on this page (2nd video)

3. DRM integration for flutter video player – Google Widevine DRM is default included in the android flutter integration. Fairplay DRM integration for the ios flutter app requires an additional step which is explained in the dashboard config section here, let us know on support if you want to proceed with it.

4. Dynamic user-based watermark and Screen Capture block with flutter videos – To configure the user-specific watermark in Flutter, you require no change in the front end. The only change required during backend integration in OTP parameters, sample watermark code, and steps to integrate are here. (check all the steps on the left panel including the watermark)

iOS playback with flutter can not have a watermark but with fairplay drm integration, screen capture is totally blocked in iOS app. Screen capture block is also default present in Android flutter app.

5. Custom Flutter Video Player – VdoCipher provides 2 forms of player integration with its
1st is Player UI integration, which provides a ready-to-use video player with flutter. This Player UI is very easily customizable directly from the dashboard. Player customization tutorial is here.

2nd is a sample player that you can edit from scratch and have as per your requirements.

6. Offline secure download and playback  – Offline download is possible by customizing the backend OTP parameter and setting a time expiry to it. Document here.

7. PIP mode is also possible with VdoCipher SDK.

8. Video Management is possible through a dashboard or APIs on the VdoCipher account.

Why is Playing Flutter Videos Directly from a Video URL not Secure? 

As seen in the above steps, VdoCipher provides a detailed API backend authentication mechanism to play videos. It does not simply fetch a non-encrypted video from a direct video URL and tries video streaming in Flutter. The reason for this is that playing directly from the video URL is not secure and any hacker or tool can sniff the network and get access to raw videos. 

Compressing Videos in Flutter 

One key advantage of using the VdoCipher video hosting solution is that the video compression and creation of optimum different qualities for playback is directly handled by VdoCipher. You can upload the raw video file while VdoCipher takes care of the video compression, video transcoding, and video encryption. 

How is Video Hosting Taken Care Of With VdoCipher Flutter Video Playback?

When you upload the videos to the Vdocipher account, they are stored in the AWS cloud and served globally across all 6 continents via CloudFront CDN. The transcoding, and encryption is taken care of by VdoCipher through AWS compute instances. VdoCipher already serves 3000+ video websites/apps across 120+ countries with this solution. Flutter Video Streaming integration is the hottest VdoCipher integration these days. 

All in All

Flutter is a great cross-platform app that is being widely used for Android, iOS, and even the web. Flutter video playback has become more crucial than ever as almost every platform wants to leverage video to drive user engagement. 

VdoCipher’s Flutter video player supports video playback in iOS and Android. Our flutter players come loaded with features like custom player, DRM protection, watermark, and more. We have enabled more than 3000+ customers in over 120+ countries.

FAQs

How do I use VdoCipher with Flutter for secure video streaming?

To integrate VdoCipher in Flutter for secure video streaming, you’ll need to use the VdoCipher Flutter SDK. This involves registering for a VdoCipher account, obtaining your API keys, and using the SDK to embed secure video players in your Flutter app. The process ensures that your video content is securely encrypted and streamed, protecting against piracy.

What are the best practices for hosting videos for Flutter applications?

Flutter video hosting applications efficiently requires selecting a reliable video hosting service that offers good streaming quality, bandwidth, and storage options. Services like Firebase, AWS S3, or VdoCipher can be used. Ensure your videos are optimized for mobile viewing, with appropriate encoding and compression. Additionally, consider using a content delivery network (CDN) to reduce latency and improve load times for a global audience.

How can I implement DRM (Digital Rights Management) in Flutter for video content?

Implementing Flutter DRM for video content involves using a platform that supports DRM policies, such as Google Widevine or Apple FairPlay, alongside services like VdoCipher. You would typically need to integrate a DRM solution that is compatible with your video hosting or streaming service to manage access and protect your content from unauthorized use. This may require working closely with the DRM provider to ensure compatibility and security for your video content in Flutter apps.