# Play videos and keep them in sync for everyone

> Click the round play button on a video or select it to use the controls (timeline, Play, speed, volume, time format); during Spotlight, play, pause and seeking are shared by everyone in the session.

Category: Boards and presenting
Web page: https://www.pactto.com/help/video-playback
All guides: https://www.pactto.com/help.md

## Play a video

- A paused video on the canvas shows a round play button in its center (tooltip **Play**). Click it to start playing.
- Select a video to see its controls below it. Click the video itself to play or pause it while it is selected or in focus mode.

Who can do it: everyone in the room, including people with **Can view** access.

## Video controls

When a video is selected (or open in focus mode), the controls show:

- **Timeline**: the full-width bar. Click or drag along it to jump to a moment.
- **Play** / **Pause** (**Replay** at the end of the video).
- **Playback speed**: choose 0.5x, 0.75x, 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x or 2x.
- **Mute** / **Unmute** and the volume.
- **Time**: shows the current time and the length. Click it to open **Time format** and choose **Timer** (for example 0:12 / 0:59) or **Timecode** (hours:minutes:seconds:frames). This choice is saved for you only.

On a small video some controls are hidden: zoom in or open the video in focus mode to see them all.

### Keyboard shortcuts (video selected)

| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Play or pause |
| Right arrow / Left arrow | Move forward or back one frame |
| Shift + Right arrow / Left arrow | Move forward or back 10 frames |

While you are presenting a board, the arrow keys move between slides instead.

## Watch in sync with others

Videos play in sync for everyone in a Spotlight session: the spotlighted person and everyone following them.

1. Start Spotlight (**Spotlight me**, or press **X**) and have people click **Follow**. See [Spotlight your view](https://www.pactto.com/help/spotlight.md).
2. Open or select the video and press play. Everyone following sees it play from the same point.
3. Play, pause, seeking and choosing a video work in both directions: an action by the spotlighted person or by any follower moves everyone in the session.

People who are not following are not affected, and their own actions do not move the session.

When you present a board with Spotlight on, video slides behave the same way. See [Present in a room](https://www.pactto.com/help/present.md).

## If a video is slow for a follower

- During Spotlight, the video is downloaded in full on each person's device so playback stays smooth.
- The spotlighted person is never blocked: a slow connection only delays that follower's own video, not the room.
- When the Spotlight ends, any video that was started for you by someone else pauses where it is. Videos you started yourself keep playing.

## Good to know

- Each video starts from the beginning for everyone; it does not resume from where someone else left it.
- Comments left on a video appear as avatars along its timeline. See [Comment on a video](https://www.pactto.com/help/comments.md).

## Related guides

- [Present in a room](https://www.pactto.com/help/present.md): Add your assets, put them in a board, select the board and click the play button (Enter presentation mode); turn on Spotlight so everyone in the room follows your slides.
- [Spotlight your view so others follow you](https://www.pactto.com/help/spotlight.md): Click Spotlight me in the header (or press X) and confirm Become spotlight; others are invited to follow your view and their canvas moves with yours until you stop.
- [Focus on one item or board](https://www.pactto.com/help/focus-mode.md): Select an item or board and click Enter focus mode to show only that item, full size; press Escape or click Exit focus mode to go back to the canvas.
- [Leave feedback with comments](https://www.pactto.com/help/comments.md): Click the Comment tool (or press K), then click an item or an empty spot on the canvas, type your feedback, and press Enter to post it.
- [Add images, videos, PDFs, and other content to a room](https://www.pactto.com/help/add-assets.md): Click Add asset in the toolbar (or press 1) to upload from your computer, Google Drive, or Adobe Frame.io; you can also drag files onto the canvas, paste them, paste links, or create a Pactto doc or a table.