Autplaying videos infuriate me. I've given up after trying to configure chrome to stop autoplaying videos. Now I just turn off javascript and only enable it for the sites I need javascript.

That actually sounds like a good overall security policy as well.

It's amazing how many javascript problems can manifest in subtle degradation of sites instead of complete breakage. Be warned.

Ugh. Yes. I especially hate how online courses feel they have to put everything in as a video without the (cheaper, pre-existing) text/pdf version.

At most, they'll have slides that lack critical content from the lecture.

Or even worse, the content is ONLY available as video, with no transcript and plenty of filler. What a miserable way to consume any content.

Possibly the slowest way to intake information.

The most effective way I've found to disable autoplay is to simply block the video content networks which provide these. At my last update, it was a rather small set.

    0.0.0.0                 player.theplatform.com  # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 link.theplatform.com    # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 ci-2862d2c8d6-68f418d2.http.atlas.cdn.yimg.com # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 big.assets.huffingtonpost.com # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 ht1.cdn.turner.com      # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 ht2.cdn.turner.com      # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 ht3.cdn.turner.com      # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 ht4.cdn.turner.com      # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 ht5.cdn.turner.com      # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 ht6.cdn.turner.com      # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 ht7.cdn.turner.com      # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 ht8.cdn.turner.com      # Autoplay video
    0.0.0.0                 ht9.cdn.turner.com      # Autoplay video

Alternatively, uMatrix should allow you to globally blacklist, then optionally whitelist same.

Flashblock blocks most of the videos on news sites.

That's been less effective lately, so I've also added an HTML5 autoplay blocker. It's fairly effective. Not sure how much it prevents from loading to save on data, but at least it prevents being halfway down the page reading and suddenly having noise come from the speakers.

Maybe turn on adblocker and send the news conglomerate a few cents in the mail? That's what I would do if I really felt the need to balance the scales with the websites I block. I'm not being sarcastic, that's really what I would do.

I doubt they'd even accept it—the few cents you send them could be hundreds in tax paperwork preparation.

You could probably set up uMatrix rules to block the video provider.

Just to remove all doubts--a large part of the reason the video is there and autoplayed has a lot to do with video CPMs compared to standard display CPMs.