Video player with assisted seek

A system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processing device, coupled to the memory, to perform operations comprising:
• requesting a video content item for viewing, the video content item associated with a plurality of thumbnails, each thumbnail corresponding to a point in the video content item;
• playing, in a user interface on a user device, the video content item starting at a current point;
• receiving, at a viewing progress bar in the user interface, a first drag gesture to a future point in the video content item, the future point corresponding to subsequent video content of the video content item, the first drag gesture having a first magnitude and a first direction to fast forward playback of the video content item;
• responsive to the first drag gesture:
• seeking to the future point in the first direction and at a first speed corresponding to the first magnitude of the first drag gesture while presenting, in the user interface, a first subset of the plurality of thumbnails concurrently with the video content item played, wherein the first subset includes future thumbnails associated with video content to be played to reach the future point that are displayed based on a predetermined order, and wherein the future thumbnails are presented at a scrolling speed corresponding to the first magnitude of the first drag gesture concurrently with the video content item and comprise a first future thumbnail that is visually indicated as closest in time, as compared to other thumbnails of the future thumbnails, to the future point displayed based on the first drag gesture;
• receiving, in the user interface, a second drag gesture to a prior point in the video content item, the prior point corresponding to preceding video content of the video content item, the second drag gesture having a second magnitude and a second direction to rewind playback of the video content item;
• and
• responsive to the second drag gesture:
• seeking to the prior point in the second direction and at a second speed corresponding to the second magnitude of the second drag gesture while presenting a second subset of the plurality of thumbnails concurrently with the video content item, wherein the second subset includes preceding thumbnails associated with video content to be played to reach the prior point that are displayed based on the predetermined order, and wherein the preceding thumbnails are presented at a scrolling speed corresponding to the second magnitude of the second drag gesture concurrently with the video content item and comprise a second preceding thumbnail that is visually indicated as closest in time, as compared to other thumbnails of the preceding thumbnails, to the prior point displayed based on the second drag gesture.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• requesting a video content item for viewing, the video content item associated with a plurality of thumbnails, each thumbnail corresponding to a point in the video content item;
• playing, in a user interface on a user device, the video content item starting at a current point;
• receiving, at a viewing progress bar in the user interface, a first drag gesture to a future point in the video content item, the future point corresponding to subsequent video content of the video content item, the first drag gesture having a first magnitude and a first direction to fast forward playback of the video content item;
• responsive to the first drag gesture:
• seeking to the future point in the first direction and at a first speed corresponding to the first magnitude of the first drag gesture while presenting, in the user interface, a first subset of the plurality of thumbnails concurrently with the video content item played, wherein the first subset includes future thumbnails associated with video content to be played to reach the future point that are displayed based on a predetermined order, and wherein the future thumbnails are presented at a scrolling speed corresponding to the first magnitude of the first drag gesture concurrently with the video content item and comprise a first future thumbnail that is visually indicated as closest in time, as compared to other thumbnails of the future thumbnails, to the future point displayed based on the first drag gesture;
• receiving, in the user interface, a second drag gesture to a prior point in the video content item, the prior point corresponding to preceding video content of the video content item, the second drag gesture having a second magnitude and a second direction to rewind playback of the video content item;
• and
• responsive to the second drag gesture:
• seeking to the prior point in the second direction and at a second speed corresponding to the second magnitude of the second drag gesture while presenting a second subset of the plurality of thumbnails concurrently with the video content item, wherein the second subset includes preceding thumbnails associated with video content to be played to reach the prior point that are displayed based on the predetermined order, and wherein the preceding thumbnails are presented at a scrolling speed corresponding to the second magnitude of the second drag gesture concurrently with the video content item and comprise a second preceding thumbnail that is visually indicated as closest in time, as compared to other thumbnails of the preceding thumbnails, to the prior point displayed based on the second drag gesture.