Instead of showing the YouTube video directly on the page, lightbox mode displays a thumbnail image with a play button. When a visitor clicks on this thumbnail, the video opens in a popup overlay that appears on top of your page content, dimming the background.

Key benefits of lightbox mode:

1. Less intrusive - Videos don't automatically load until clicked, making your page load faster
2. Cleaner design - Your page shows preview thumbnails instead of embedded players
3. Better user experience - When clicked, the video plays in a focused overlay with a darkened background, minimizing distractions
4. Customizable appearance - You can use custom thumbnails, control the overlay opacity, and adjust styling
5. Mobile-friendly - Works well on all devices and adapts to screen size

When the video is playing in the lightbox, users can close it by clicking outside the video, pressing the ESC key, or clicking the X button in the corner. This returns them to your original page exactly where they were.

The module gives you options to customize the lightbox appearance, including using your own thumbnail images instead of the standard YouTube thumbnails.

The responsive aspects of this extension too embed a YouTube video ensure that your embedded YouTube videos look good and function properly on all devices and screen sizes, from desktop computers to tablets and mobile phones.

Key responsive features:

1. Fluid width scaling - Videos automatically resize based on screen width, maintaining the correct aspect ratio (16:9)
2. Percentage-based sizing - You can set the video width as a percentage (like 100%, 75%, 50%) of its container, and it will scale appropriately
3. Mobile-optimized controls - Play buttons and controls become appropriately sized for smaller screens and touch interfaces
4. Adaptive layout - On smaller screens, the module makes adjustments to margins, padding, and button sizes
5. Media queries - The module includes specific CSS for different device sizes (desktop, tablet, mobile) to optimize the display
6. Touch-friendly elements - On touch devices, interactive elements like the play button have increased visibility and tappable areas

The module's responsive design ensures that your YouTube videos provide a consistent, high-quality viewing experience regardless of the visitor's device or screen size, without you having to create separate versions for different platforms.

The YouTube SmartEmbed module provides extensive custom styling options that allow you to personalize how your videos appear on your website. Here's an overview of the styling capabilities:

1. Custom Thumbnails

   • Upload your own image to use as the video thumbnail instead of YouTube's default
   • Useful for branded content or when YouTube thumbnails don't represent your video well
     
     

2. Visual Appearance

   • Rounded corners option for a modern look
   • Customizable container width (percentages from 20% to 100%)
   • Alignment options (left, center, right)
   • Shadow effects with hover animations

The module's styling is built to be both visually appealing out-of-the-box and highly customizable for those who want to match their site's unique design language.