How to mimic iOS 9's Picture-in-Picture video mode on Mac OS X

Picture-in-Picture video mode is one of iOS 9's greatest features which enables videos to move around in floating window and sit right on top of other apps running in the background. This is obviously inspired by the split-view multitasking feature in iOS 9 which allows users to view two apps side-by-side and also multitask at the same time.

Thanks to the free Helium app, it is now possible to mimic somewhat similar functionality on Mac OS X, reports Redmond Pie. This app is supported by popular video streaming services such as YouTube, Hulu, Amazon and Netflix, wherein the streamed files are saved locally.

Interested Mac users can get iOS 9's PIP video mode functionality on OS X, with a set of simple steps as outlined below:

• Download the free Helium app from the developer's website. As the app is open source, discerning users may contribute towards improving the app by modifying the original source code from the developer website.
• Open the Helium app after the download completes. Then go to the menu bar in OS X, choose Location > Open Web URL
• Navigate to Enter Destination URL text box and type in the URL from the supported web-based video streaming site such as Hulu and YouTube
• Finally, click the Load button in the Helium app window. Now the submitted video should load in a separate PIP window, which will be pinned on top of other apps running in the background. Besides, you may also choose to resize the app window and place it anywhere you want on the display.

Note: In case you encounter any flash plug-in errors such as 'Blocked Plug-in', just update the flash utility to the latest version on your Mac.

For further assistance, check out the video tutorial below:

[Source: OS X Daily]