Rust Video Browser

Video Browser

Video Browser provides a modern in-game video library for Rust servers. Players can browse approved videos, search the catalog, select categories, view video information, and play supported media through Rust’s built-in video player.

Main Features

• Full-screen, scalable video browser UI
• Video categories with item counts
• Search videos by title and information
• Cover images and video descriptions
• Release year, runtime, rating, language, creator, tags, and license information
• Support for movies and episodic series
• Pagination for larger libraries
• Admin video management
• Add, edit, enable, disable, feature, or delete videos
• Add and remove custom categories
• Search supported public archives
• Review archive metadata and licensing before adding a result
• Permission-controlled administration and archive access
• Configurable player-close behavior
• Timed UI notifications and loading messages

Video Requirements

Videos must use a publicly accessible direct media-file URL.

A suitable URL should:

• Link directly to the video file
• Be accessible without signing in
• Work without cookies or authorization headers
• Avoid redirects to a webpage or embedded player
• Support normal HTTP or HTTPS downloads
• Remain available long enough for players to download it

Example of a direct link:

https://example.com/videos/movie.mp4

When opened in a browser, the address should immediately load or download the actual video file. It should not open a webpage containing a video player.

Supported File Types

Rust’s native video player determines the formats and codecs that actually work. The safest and most compatible choice is:

• .mp4
• H.264/AVC video
• AAC audio
• Standard web-compatible encoding

Other containers or codecs may fail depending on Rust’s current Unity video-player support, the client’s platform, and how the file is hosted.

Formats that should not be relied upon include:

• .mkv
• .avi
• .mov
• .webm
• .flv
• HLS playlists such as .m3u8
• DASH manifests such as .mpd

Even when a file extension appears supported, an unsupported codec inside the file can prevent playback.

YouTube and Streaming Websites

Video Browser does not play normal YouTube links.

These will not work:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=...

https://youtu.be/...

YouTube addresses point to webpages and dynamically generated streaming sessions - not permanent direct video files. YouTube also uses protected, expiring, segmented media URLs.

The same limitation commonly applies to:

• Vimeo pages
• Twitch
• TikTok
• Facebook video pages
• Netflix
• Disney+
• Hulu
• Other subscription or protected streaming services

Do not use tools or third-party services to bypass access controls, extract protected streams, or redistribute copyrighted videos.

Hosting Limitations

The server does not stream the video to players. Each player’s Rust client downloads the media from the configured URL.

Playback can fail when:

• The URL points to a webpage instead of a media file
• The host blocks direct linking
• The host requires cookies, authentication, or browser headers
• The host restricts requests by region or IP address
• The URL expires
• The server returns an unsupported content type
• The video codec is unsupported
• The file is too large or downloads too slowly
• The player’s connection cannot download the file
• HTTPS certificates or redirects fail
• The hosting provider limits bandwidth

For reliable playback, use a host that explicitly permits direct media delivery and provides sufficient bandwidth.

Copyright and Licensing

Server owners are responsible for every video added to the catalog.

Only add content that you:

• Created yourself
• Have permission to distribute
• Properly licensed
• Confirmed is in the public domain
• Confirmed is available under a compatible Creative Commons license

Being able to find or play a video online does not automatically give permission to redistribute it through a Rust server.

The public archive search helps locate items marked with acceptable licensing information, but administrators should still verify the source, license, and attribution requirements before permanently adding any item.

Permissions

• videobrowser.use - Allows access when general-use permission is required.
• videobrowser.search - Allows access to public archive searching when search permission is required.
• videobrowser.admin - Allows access to administrative features, including adding, editing, and deleting videos and categories.

Administrative access requires videobrowser.admin. Rust’s built-in administrator status alone does not grant Video Browser administration.