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react-native-video (and How We Can Help)At The Widlarz Group, we are committed to maintaining and improving libraries like react-native-video to provide developers with reliable, secure, and efficient tools for building high-quality applications. However, we understand that not all companies can immediately adopt the latest versions of our library. Internal constraints, such as corporate policies, legacy code dependencies, or long release cycles, often mean that teams need to stick with older versions, even as we continue to release updates with critical fixes and improvements.
Although each organization’s circumstances differ, several common factors can make upgrading libraries like react-native-video a challenge:
Larger organizations often require extensive testing and approvals for any change in dependencies. These processes can delay upgrades, even when new versions offer significant improvements.
Older versions of react-native-video may be deeply integrated with existing codebases or rely on other libraries that are not compatible with the latest updates. This creates a domino effect where upgrading one library requires changes across multiple components.
Many teams prioritize the stability of production systems over adopting the latest features. If the current version works well, companies may avoid upgrading to mitigate the risk of introducing new issues.
Engineering teams often have limited resources and may need to prioritize delivering new features over updating dependencies.
Staying on an older version of react-native-video may seem practical in the short term, but it can introduce certain risks and limitations:
Many issues addressed in newer releases won’t be resolved in older versions, leaving your application vulnerable to known problems.
Older versions may not function correctly with newer versions of React Native or platform updates, potentially causing unexpected behavior.
Recent updates often include performance optimizations that are unavailable in older versions.
Teams may spend more time addressing issues manually, which would otherwise be resolved by updating to the latest version.
react-native-videoTo illustrate the benefits of keeping libraries up to date, let’s take a closer look at the differences between react-native-video versions 5.2 and 6.9. These changes highlight the significant improvements and new capabilities introduced over time, showing how much the library has grown to meet modern development needs.
Starting with v6.x, react-native-video began supporting Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies, such as Widevine, FairPlay, and PlayReady. This makes it possible to handle protected content directly through the library, something that wasn’t available in v5.2. Developers using older versions often had to rely on additional solutions or custom implementations to provide DRM functionality, which added complexity to projects.
Version 6.9 brought the ability to use Picture-in-Picture mode on both Android and iOS via the enterPictureInPictureOnLeave prop. This feature allows users to minimize a playing video into a small, resizable window while interacting with other parts of the app. In v5.2, this capability simply didn’t exist, making it a significant quality-of-life improvement for both developers and end-users.
Subtitles have seen notable improvements in the newer versions. Issues with synchronization and limited support for formats like WebVTT or SRT were common in v5.2. By v6.9, subtitle handling was much more robust, reducing the need for workarounds or custom implementations.
The newer versions introduced several optimizations that directly address playback performance. Buffers load faster, video rendering is more consistent, and resource usage is more efficient. For teams working with v5.2, these updates could represent a significant boost in playback quality, particularly for users with lower-end devices or limited bandwidth.
Between v5.2 and v6.9, the library addressed many known issues, including:
These fixes make newer versions far more stable and reliable compared to older releases.
React Native itself evolves quickly, often introducing breaking changes. While v5.2 may still work in some older setups, it’s likely to run into issues with modern React Native versions. By v6.9, the library had been updated to align with changes in React Native’s architecture, making it a better fit for current development environments.
If your organization cannot upgrade to the latest version of react-native-video due to internal constraints, we offer tailored solutions to help you maintain and improve your current implementation:
We can backport critical bug fixes and performance improvements from newer versions into your current version, ensuring stability and addressing any urgent issues.
If you need your current version to work with newer React Native releases or other dependencies, we can provide the necessary adjustments to maintain compatibility.
If there are specific features from newer releases that would benefit your application, we can selectively implement them into your current version.
For companies that need to stay on a specific version for an extended period, we offer ongoing support to ensure stability and address any emerging issues.
When the time is right, we can assist with a smooth transition to the latest version, helping to minimize disruption and ensure a successful upgrade.
As the maintainers of react-native-video, we have a deep understanding of its architecture, functionality, and potential challenges. This allows us to efficiently provide support and solutions tailored to the unique needs of companies using the library. Whether you need help maintaining your current version or planning an upgrade, we’re here to help you navigate these challenges with confidence and ease.
