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How do I stream anime through a video source?

Updated

You need at least one video source extension installed first (see What are Mihon / Aniyomi extensions?). Available on Windows, macOS and Android; per App Store rules the iOS build has no online video sources.

Find → tap an episode → play ​

Go to Browse → Sources (the video library's "Sources" tab works the same), pick "Video" and open a source: Popular / Latest / Search. A series page shows details plus the episode list; tap an episode and it goes straight into the built-in player:

  • it uses the stream the extension ranks first (set quality / language preferences in the extension's own source preferences); to switch, pick another stream in the player's Quality menu — your choice is remembered for that episode;
  • the next episode plays automatically at the end; playback position, subtitle position and sync offset are remembered per episode;
  • "Open on website" jumps to the source site.

Where subtitles come from ​

If the stream carries a subtitle track (mostly WebVTT in the Aniyomi ecosystem) it loads as an external subtitle — only Japanese subtitles let you tap words and mine; which language you get depends on the site. When the site only offers English / Chinese subtitles, import a Japanese subtitle by hand like for a local video (Jimaku has most shows) and adjust the timing if it's off.

Adding to the library, downloading ​

The series page also has:

  • Add to video library: every episode becomes an online entry in your video library, grouped into one collection per show, so you can resume straight from the library; tapping it again only adds new episodes. "Remove from video library" removes only the online entries — downloaded episodes stay.
  • Download this episode / Download all: saves the video locally, with progress under Browse → Downloads; afterwards tapping that episode plays the local file — offline, and clip export works too.

Mining from online video ​

Mining from a stream has to fetch audio and frames on the spot, which is slower than with local files. "Online video mining" under Settings → Card creation has three modes:

  • In the background (default): the plus shows "added" at once, the video keeps playing, and the card is prepared and written to Anki in the background;
  • After watching: cards wait in a "Cards to add" list and are written to Anki together when you leave the player or hit "Add all to Anki" — you can delete mis-taps first;
  • Wait for the card: returns only once the card is in Anki, keeping "edit latest card" available.

How it differs from anime downloads ​

Online sources win on instant playback; for automatic Jimaku Japanese subtitles, per-episode subscriptions and choosing the release yourself, use anime downloads.

Common situations ​

  • No playable stream for this episode: none of the site's streams for that episode could be resolved — try another stream, another source, or "Open on website" to see whether the site itself is still alive.
  • Poor quality / stuttering: switch streams in the "Quality" menu; with a single stream you get what the site gives.
  • The video source extension is not installed or disabled: online entries in your library depend on the original extension — reinstall or enable it under "Browse → Extensions".
  • Site verification / nothing found: see the extensions article's common situations.

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