Video Speed Controller is a free browser extension for the Google Chrome web browser and compatible browsers that gives you better video playback controls.

The extension seems to be related to the Firefox extension Video Speed Controller which we reviewed earlier this year.

Most video streaming sites offer basic playback controls only; you can stop playback, skip to the next video, change the audio, and modify select audio-visual settings. Some sites offer advanced controls. YouTube, for example, has a playback speed option in the settings menu that you may activate to increase or decrease playback speed.

Increasing is great for audiobooks and any other content that is mostly audio-based, and if someone talks really fast in a video, decreasing may help slow everything down a bit.

Fun Fact: Mini, the company that produces Mini Coopers, created Fast Forward for Chrome. A browser extension to accelerate videos with the press of a button.

Video Speed Controller

Video Speed Controller adds an overlay to HTML5 videos on supported sites. The extension includes a blacklist of sites on which it does not work. While it should work on most video streaming sites, YouTube is an example where it works perfectly on, it does not work on some streaming sites; the overlay is not displayed on Dailymotion even though it is not blacklisted.

The overlay is displayed when you hover the mouse over the video. It displays the current playback speed and displays two main options:

Increase or decrease the playback speed of the video in .10 steps.

Skip 10 seconds ahead or back.

Just select any of the options to activate the function. Chrome users who prefer keyboard shortcuts over mouse controls can make use of the mapped ones as well.

Decrease Speed - V

Increase Speed - D

Rewing - Z

Advance - X

Reset Speed -R

Preferred Speed - G

Tap on the keys to activate the function while the video tab is active. You don't need to hover with the mouse cursor over the video for the shortcuts to work.

The extension's preferences provide you with options to change shortcuts and steps. You could change the rewind or advance step to 20 seconds, change the preferred speed, or change the speed decrease or increase steps.

Video Speed Controller supports two additional shortcuts that you may map to keys. You may add "mute" or "pause" shortcuts to execute these with a key press as well.

The preferences list a handful of other options of interest:

Hide the controller by default.

Remember the playback speed.

Blacklist sites to disable the extension when these sites are loaded.

Enable experimental features to disable site-specific keybindings.

Closing Words

Video Speed Controller is a useful browser extension for Chrome and compatible browsers that gives users control over the playback speed of HTML5 videos and options to advance or go back in videos with just the click of the mouse or press of a key on the keyboard.

Summary Author Rating 4.5 based on 6 votes Software Name Video Speed Controller Software Category Browser Landing Page https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/video-speed-controller/nffaoalbilbmmfgbnbgppjihopabppdk/

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