To show a video in an HTML5 canvas, draw frames from an <video> element with drawImage(). To capture the canvas output as a live video stream, call canvas.captureStream(). If you want to capture the media element itself rather than the canvas pixels, use video.captureStream() where supported; the two methods capture different sources.
Play a video by drawing its frames into a canvas
A canvas does not play a video file by itself. Use a video element to load and play the media, then draw its current frame onto the canvas. The following example uses a button so playback begins in response to a user action:
<video id="source" src="video.mp4" playsinline muted></video>
<canvas id="output" width="640" height="360"></canvas>
<button id="play">Play</button>
<script>
const video = document.querySelector("#source");
const canvas = document.querySelector("#output");
const context = canvas.getContext("2d");
let animationId;
function drawFrame() {
if (video.paused || video.ended) return;
context.drawImage(video, 0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
animationId = requestAnimationFrame(drawFrame);
}
document.querySelector("#play").addEventListener("click", async () => {
try {
await video.play();
cancelAnimationFrame(animationId);
drawFrame();
} catch (error) {
console.error("Video playback could not start:", error);
}
});
video.addEventListener("pause", () => cancelAnimationFrame(animationId));
video.addEventListener("ended", () => cancelAnimationFrame(animationId));
</script>drawImage() copies the video’s current frame into the canvas. The animation loop repeatedly draws while the video is playing; it stops when playback pauses or ends. Adjust the canvas dimensions and drawing coordinates if you need a different output size or aspect ratio.
Capture the canvas as a video stream
Use HTMLCanvasElement.captureStream() when you need to turn the canvas pixels—such as the frames drawn from a video, plus any overlays or other canvas graphics—into a real-time MediaStream. The stream includes a video track. See MDN’s canvas captureStream() reference.
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const canvas = document.querySelector("#output");
const stream = canvas.captureStream(30);
// For example, provide the stream to a MediaRecorder or RTCPeerConnection.The optional frame-rate argument controls capture behavior, but should be treated as a requested rate, not a guarantee of exact frame delivery or recording cadence:
- Omit the argument to capture a new frame when the canvas changes.
- Pass a positive value, such as
30, to request capture at that rate. - A negative value throws
NotSupportedError.
Capture is live: drawing the video into a canvas is not itself a recording or a saved video file. The returned stream must be passed to a consumer, such as a recorder or peer connection, for further processing.
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Request canvas frames manually
For application-controlled frame requests, pass 0 to captureStream(), then call requestFrame() on the video track after drawing a frame:
const stream = canvas.captureStream(0);
const [track] = stream.getVideoTracks();
function drawAndCapture() {
context.drawImage(video, 0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
track.requestFrame();
}With a zero rate, automatic frame capture is disabled. The requestFrame() interface has limited availability according to MDN, so feature-detect it and test the browsers you intend to support. Reference: MDN’s requestFrame() reference.
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Capture the video element instead of the canvas
If the goal is to capture the media rendered by a video element and you do not need to capture canvas overlays or other canvas drawing, call captureStream() on the media element:
const video = document.querySelector("#source");
const stream = video.captureStream();This produces a MediaStream for downstream processing, including use with WebRTC. MDN marks HTMLMediaElement.captureStream() as having limited availability; support for canvas capture does not imply support for this separate method. Check target-browser support before depending on it. Reference: MDN’s media-element captureStream() reference.
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Choose the capture method
| Method | What it captures | Capture timing | Key constraint |
|---|---|---|---|
canvas.captureStream() |
Pixels currently drawn on the canvas | Canvas changes when no rate is supplied; a positive requested rate can also be supplied; zero allows manual requests through requestFrame() |
Canvas must be origin-clean; capture can throw SecurityError |
video.captureStream() |
Media content rendered by the media element | Captures from the media element; the cited reference does not specify a frame-rate argument | MDN reports limited availability |
Both methods return a MediaStream, the browser’s stream of media tracks for downstream use. For background on streams and tracks, see MDN’s Media Capture and Streams API reference.
Resolve common capture problems
SecurityError when capturing a canvas
canvas.captureStream() can throw SecurityError if the canvas bitmap is not origin-clean. For example, drawing media from another origin without appropriate cross-origin handling can taint the canvas. This is a security restriction on access to canvas pixels, not evidence by itself that the capture method is unsupported. Ensure the media source is served with appropriate cross-origin settings before drawing it if you need to capture the resulting canvas.
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The method or manual frame request is unavailable
Canvas capture, media-element capture, and manual requestFrame() are distinct compatibility questions. MDN marks requestFrame() and media-element capture as limited availability. Feature-detect the particular method you plan to call and test on the browsers and versions your application targets; do not assume that support for one capture method means support for another.
The stream does not contain the output you expected
Choose the source deliberately. A canvas stream contains the canvas pixels, including drawings and overlays placed there. A media-element stream captures the media element’s rendered content instead. If your output includes canvas compositing, capture the canvas; if it is just the video element’s media, media-element capture may fit when available.
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