Rewind Video: a Video.js skin that’s a whole video store

I wanted to design a video library that works together with the player, not one bolted on next to it. And the video library I have the warmest memories of is the video store: Friday nights, walking the aisles, reading hand-written staff picks, carrying a tape to the counter. Rewind Video brings that feeling back. You browse the library, rent a film, and watch it, the way we used to.

The store is the library. You walk between three aisles: Horror, Staff Picks and Cult & Sci-Fi. Open a shelf and you see the tapes spine-out, with hand-written labels and genre stickers. Pull one off the shelf and it becomes a 3D VHS tape you can turn in your hands, next to its rental slip. Rent it, and the store keeps it in your rental history.

The player is the TV. The skin is a 1970s TV set, and every control is part of it:

- the push buttons rewind, play/pause, fast-forward and go fullscreen;

- the tuning knob scrubs through the tape;

- the volume knob turns, and a small knob mutes;

- a green VCR bar on the glass shows the time and lets you seek;

- the power knob ejects the tape and sends you back to the shelf.

On a phone the set’s knobs would be too small for a thumb, so the TV comes with its own remote.

Made for everyone. Everything works with the keyboard, with a visible focus ring on every knob and button. Touch targets are thumb-sized, the time stays readable over bright and dark footage, and all the motion calms down when reduced motion is on.

▶ Watch the player: https://inquisitive-profiterole-99d1a7.netlify.app/#watch 🏪 Walk the store: https://inquisitive-profiterole-99d1a7.netlify.app

Please be kind, rewind.

This is so fun! ✨

NOCTILUCA — an abyssal Video.js v10 skin that turns playback into an expedition. Original bioluminescent jellyfish artwork and a custom 8-second motion study set the scene; spectral cyan and violet controls emerge from a glassy, low-profile rail, then recede so the picture stays in focus. Built from Video.js v10 media components with responsive layout, accessible labels and focus states, keyboard shortcuts (Space, M, F, ←/→), reduced-motion support, seek, time, mute and fullscreen controls. The player is ready to explore at the links below.