I’m working on a web project that has an HTML5 video element, and I’m really struggling to figure out how to modify the background color of that video. I want the video to blend in better with the surrounding design, but there doesn’t seem to be an obvious way to change the background color directly on the video tag itself.

I’ve tried a few things, like wrapping the video element in a div and setting that div’s background color, but that didn’t quite give me the effect I was hoping for. The video itself has some black bars on the sides, and I want to make those less glaring by using a color that matches my site’s overall theme. I’ve considered using CSS to style the video but I’m not sure if that would work since the video is opaque and I want to avoid using filters that could degrade the quality of the video.

Has anyone figured out a good way to do this? I was thinking of maybe using a gradient as a background for the video container or possibly employing some clever use of z-index to layer things. But every time I play around with it, it either messes up the video’s aspect ratio or just doesn’t look right.

Also, I want to make sure that this works across different browsers and devices. I’m trying to keep it simple, so I’m not really into heavy JavaScript solutions, but I’m open to any CSS tricks or hacks that could achieve this blending effect.

If it helps, I’m trying to create a visual that feels cohesive and engaging, not just a plain video. I’m really hoping to get some suggestions or examples from anyone who’s tackled similar issues. What’s the best way to approach this, and are there any common pitfalls I should watch out for? Any help would be super appreciated! Thanks!