videojs warn player.tech--.hls is deprecated. use player.tech--.vhs instead

Videojs Warn Player.tech--.hls Is Deprecated. Use Player.tech--.vhs Instead

The warning "videojs warn player.tech--.hls is deprecated. use player.tech--.vhs instead"

indicates that your code or a plugin is accessing the HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) engine using an outdated property name. This change occurred because Video.js HTTP Streaming (VHS) has replaced the older videojs-contrib-hls Report: Deprecation of player.tech().hls 1. Reason for the Change

Video.js 7 and newer versions integrated a new streaming engine called VHS (Video.js HTTP Streaming)

. Unlike its predecessor, VHS supports both HLS and DASH formats. To reflect this unified engine, the property used to access runtime streaming data was renamed from 2. Comparison of Access Methods Old (Deprecated) New (Recommended) player.tech().hls player.tech().vhs player.hls (even older) player.tech().vhs 3. How to Resolve Direct Access

: If you are manually accessing the HLS instance to check stats or manifest data, update your JavaScript calls: javascript // Change this: hls = player.tech().hls; // To this: vhs = player.tech().vhs; Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Player Options

: If the warning appears during initialization, update your configuration object: javascript // Change this: player = videojs( 'my-player' , { html5: { hls: { overrideNative: // To this: player = videojs( 'my-player' , { html5: { vhs: { overrideNative: Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Third-Party Plugins : If you aren't calling

yourself, a plugin like a quality selector or resolution switcher may be outdated. Check for updates for those specific libraries on 4. Critical Considerations Native vs. VHS : In some browsers like Safari, player.tech().vhs

if the browser is using its native HLS engine instead of the Video.js VHS engine. Use overrideNative: true

in your options if you require consistent access to the VHS object across all browsers. Late Initialization

: Ensure the player is fully ready before accessing the tech object, as it may not be attached until the source is loaded. Are you seeing this warning from a specific plugin , or are you manually configuring the player options? videojs-http-streaming (VHS) - GitHub

This warning appears in projects using Video.js with the videojs-contrib-hls (or similar HLS playback) library.

Scenario 2: You are using a plugin or 3rd party tool

If you did not write this code yourself, the warning is likely coming from a plugin (such as a quality selector, an analytics tracker, or a chromecast plugin).

  1. Check if there is an update available for the plugin. Most plugin authors have released updates to support Video.js 8 and VHS.
  2. If no update is available, you may need to remain on Video.js 7 temporarily or fork the plugin to update the reference yourself.

API Changes: While the property name has changed, the available methods on the VHS object are largely similar, but you should consult the Video.js VHS documentation for specific method changes. The warning "videojs warn player

Summary: Replace .hls with .vhs in your codebase to ensure compatibility with future versions of Video.js.

If you’ve recently seen the console warning "VIDEOJS: WARN: player.tech--.hls is deprecated. Use player.tech--.vhs instead," you are encountering a transition that began with the release of Video.js 7. This warning is part of a move to unify streaming technologies under a single engine. Why is player.tech.hls Deprecated?

Historically, videojs-contrib-hls was the dedicated plugin for HLS playback in Video.js. However, as MPEG-DASH grew in popularity, the development team realized that HLS and DASH could share much of the same core logic. The result was VHS (Video.js HTTP Streaming), which:

Acts as the Successor: VHS is a fork of the original HLS project that supports both HLS and DASH.

Is Bundled by Default: Starting with version 7, VHS is included in the standard Video.js build, making external HLS plugins unnecessary for most users.

Provides a Unified API: By renaming the internal property from hls to vhs, the developers avoided confusion when using the same engine to play DASH content. How to Fix the Warning

The warning appears when your code (or a plugin you are using) attempts to access HLS-specific properties via the old player.tech().hls path. To resolve it, you must update your references to use vhs. 1. Update Runtime Access

If you are manually accessing the streaming tech object to check playlists or bandwidth, change your syntax: Old (Deprecated): javascript

var hls = player.tech().hls; console.log(hls.playlists.master); Use code with caution. New (Recommended): javascript

var vhs = player.tech().vhs; console.log(vhs.playlists.main); // Note: 'master' is often now 'main' Use code with caution. 2. Update Initialization Options

If you are passing options to the player during setup, update the key from hls to vhs. Old Setup: javascript

videojs('my-player', html5: hls: overrideNative: true ); Use code with caution. New Setup: javascript Check if there is an update available for the plugin

videojs('my-player', html5: vhs: overrideNative: true ); Use code with caution. Key Benefits of VHS

Switching to VHS isn't just about silencing a warning; it provides several architectural improvements:

player.tech().hls is deprecated. Use player.tech().vhs instead #2

If you are seeing the warning "VIDEOJS: WARN: player.tech().hls is deprecated. Use player.tech().vhs instead," it is because your code is still using the older videojs-contrib-hls naming convention.

Since Video.js 7, the player uses a unified engine called VHS (Video.js HTTP Streaming) to handle both HLS and DASH streams. This change ensures a more consistent API regardless of the streaming protocol being used. How to Fix the Deprecation Warning

To resolve this, you need to update how you access the streaming technology object and how you configure your player options. 1. Update Programmatic Access

If your JavaScript code manually accesses the HLS object to change quality levels, tracks, or metadata, change hls to vhs. Old (Deprecated): javascript

var player = videojs('my-video'); player.ready(function() // This triggers the warning var hls = player.tech().hls; console.log(hls.playlists.master); ); Use code with caution. New (Correct): javascript

var player = videojs('my-video'); player.ready(function() // Use .vhs instead var vhs = player.tech().vhs; if (vhs) console.log(vhs.playlists.master); ); Use code with caution. 2. Update Configuration Options

If you are passing options to the player during initialization, update the key from hls to vhs within the html5 object. Old (Deprecated): javascript

var player = videojs('my-video', html5: hls: overrideNative: true ); Use code with caution. New (Correct): javascript

var player = videojs('my-video', html5: vhs: overrideNative: true ); Use code with caution. Why the Change Happened API Changes: While the property name has changed,

Unified Engine: Video.js HTTP Streaming (VHS) replaced the separate videojs-contrib-hls and DASH plugins.

Protocol Agnostic: Because VHS handles multiple formats, calling it .hls was technically inaccurate when the player was actually playing a DASH stream.

Better Support: VHS is bundled by default in Video.js 7 and 8, offering improved cross-browser compatibility and features like low-latency HLS. Potential "Undefined" Issues

If you switch to .vhs and it returns undefined, check the following: videojs-http-streaming (VHS) - GitHub

Understanding and Fixing the Video.js HLS Deprecation Warning: Moving from player.tech--.hls to player.tech--.vhs

If you have ever built a custom video player for HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) streams using Video.js, you may have stumbled upon a confusing warning in your browser’s developer console:

VIDEOJS WARN: player.tech--.hls is deprecated. use player.tech--.vhs instead

This warning does not necessarily break your player immediately, but it signals an important shift in how Video.js handles HLS playback internally. Ignoring it could lead to future compatibility issues, unexpected bugs, or failed upgrades.

In this article, we’ll break down:

4. What Actually Breaks (and What Doesn’t)

Therefore, you have a grace period. But not updating is a technical debt that will eventually cause your player to fail for users when the alias is removed.

How to fix it

1. What Is This Warning?

Video.js is a popular open‑source HTML5 video player framework. For HLS streaming, it relies on a tech — the underlying playback engine. Historically, Video.js used a tech named hls (provided by the videojs-contrib-hls package).

Around Video.js version 7 and later, the project migrated to a new, more robust HLS library called VHS (Video.js HLS Streaming). VHS stands for Video.js HTTP Streaming, and it supports both HLS and DASH.

To maintain backward compatibility, an alias was kept: when you wrote player.tech_.hls, it still pointed to the VHS tech for a while. Starting with certain Video.js versions (typically v7+ with updated contrib packages), using the old name triggers this deprecation warning.

The warning is telling you:

“You are using a legacy property name. It still works for now, but you should switch to the new property name — player.tech_.vhs — because the old one will be removed in a future release.”

5. Implementation Examples

Table of Contents

  1. Understanding the Video.js Tech Layer
  2. The History of videojs-contrib-hls and videojs-http-streaming (VHS)
  3. Why the Warning Exists
  4. What Actually Breaks (and What Doesn’t)
  5. Step-by-Step Migration Guide
  6. Code Examples: Before and After
  7. Handling Common Use Cases
    • Accessing the HLS object for quality levels
    • Subscribing to HLS events
    • Manual segment loading
  8. Testing Your Migration
  9. Future Deprecation Timeline
  10. Conclusion