This release updates the underlying Shaka player to improve playback stability and performance.

New Feature

• Updated the Shaka player to v4.4.3, ensuring enhanced compatibility, reliability, and overall playback performance.

Service release. No new features.

This release improves DRM playback handling and prevents focus issues with the "Keep Watching" button.

New Feature

• The player disables the quality selector for DRM-protected streams using native HLS playback, preventing unusable quality options from appearing. 

Bug Fix

• When the “Keep Watching” button appears, it no longer takes focus from active text fields.

This release delivers smoother playback during ad loading and clearer on-player timestamps.

New Features

• Player defaults have been updated to maintain playback responsiveness during ad loading.
• Timestamps display with improved contrast to meet accessibility standards.

JWP 8.38.4 introduces a new configuration option for video thumbnails, adds support for unencoded Google PPS segment values and the HLS #EXT-X-SESSION-DATA tag, and includes player performance improvements to optimize preview image requests.

New Features

• The player supports unencoded Google PPS (enablePPS) segment values in ad requests for compatibility with ad partners.
• The enableVideoThumbnails config option allows disabling motion thumbnails to display static posters.
• The player supports the HLS #EXT-X-SESSION-DATA tag, enabling access to SSAI session information in VOD playback.

Bug Fix

• The player optimizes preview image requests, preventing redundant file downloads.

This release includes improved ad loading behavior on iOS and automatic preroll setup for Dynamic Ads.

New Features

• iOS respects background ad loading settings providing smoother playback without interruptions.
• Dynamic Ads automatically enables preroll support, ensuring compatibility across embed types.

Service release: Hls.js has been updated to support HEVC HLS (M2TS) playback in the JWPC dashboard.

This release includes accessibility improvements for player controls and timestamps, along with refinements to DASH livestream playback behavior.

New Features

• Player controls and timestamps have been updated to meet accessibility contrast requirements.
• Tooltips and screen reader labels have been added to improve control accessibility.

Bug Fix

• MPEG-DASH livestreams without DVR now pause on the last frame, consistent with DVR and HLS streams.

Service release. No new features.

Bug Fix

• Resolved an issue affecting the Freewheel ad plug-in.