What's the best way to make a YouTube video responsive while maintaining its aspect ratio?

Other Questions YouTube
1

I’m trying to embed a YouTube video on my website. I want it to be responsive and take up a certain percentage of the browser width, but I’m having trouble keeping the aspect ratio correct. Here’s what I’ve attempted so far:

<iframe width="87%" height="315" src="[video_embed_url]" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This makes the video wider, but it doesn’t adjust the height. Is there a way to accomplish this using just HTML and CSS? Or will I need to implement JavaScript? I’d really appreciate any tips or simple code examples. Thanks!

2

hey swiftcoder, i gotchu! try this css trick:

.video-wrapper {
position: relative;
padding-bottom: 56.25%;
height: 0;
}
.video-wrapper iframe {
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}

wrap ur iframe in a div with video-wrapper class. works like magic, no js needed!

3

I’ve tackled this issue before, and I found a neat CSS-only solution that works like a charm. The trick is to use a responsive container with a padding-bottom trick. Here’s what I did:

.video-container {
  position: relative;
  width: 100%;
  padding-bottom: 56.25%; /* 16:9 aspect ratio */
}

.video-container iframe {
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
}

Then in your HTML, just wrap your iframe in a div with the ‘video-container’ class:

<div class='video-container'>
  <iframe src='[video_embed_url]' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>

This approach maintains the aspect ratio regardless of screen size. The padding-bottom percentage is calculated as (height / width) * 100. For 16:9, it’s (9 / 16) * 100 = 56.25%. Adjust this value for different aspect ratios. Hope this helps!

4

I’ve found that using a flex container with an aspect ratio can solve this elegantly. Here’s a straightforward approach:

.video-container {
display: flex;
width: 87%;
aspect-ratio: 16 / 9;
}

.video-container iframe {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}

This method leverages modern CSS properties to maintain the aspect ratio while allowing the video to be responsive. The aspect-ratio property handles the sizing, eliminating the need for padding tricks. It’s clean, simple, and works across various screen sizes. Just ensure you’re targeting browsers that support these properties for optimal results.

5

I’ve been experimenting with various responsive video techniques, and I’ve found a solution that works well without relying on JavaScript. It’s a bit different from what others have suggested, but it’s quite effective.

Instead of using padding or aspect-ratio properties, I’ve had success with the object-fit CSS property. Here’s the approach I use:

.video-responsive {
position: relative;
width: 100%;
height: 0;
padding-bottom: 56.25%;
}

.video-responsive iframe {
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
object-fit: cover;
}

This method ensures the video maintains its aspect ratio while filling the container. The object-fit: cover property makes sure the video always fills the space without distortion.

In your HTML, just wrap your iframe in a div with the ‘video-responsive’ class. This approach has worked consistently for me across different projects and browser versions.