function setytplayerState(newState) {
          updateHTML("playerstate", newState);
        }

        function onYouTubePlayerReady(playerId) {
          ytplayer = document.getElementById("myytplayer");
          setInterval(updateytplayerInfo, 250);
          updateytplayerInfo();
          ytplayer.addEventListener("onStateChange", "onytplayerStateChange");
          ytplayer.addEventListener("onError", "onPlayerError");
        }

        function onytplayerStateChange(newState) {
          setytplayerState(newState);
        }

        function onPlayerError(errorCode) {
          alert("An error occured: " + errorCode);
        }

        // functions for the api calls
        function loadNewVideo(id, startSeconds) {
          if (ytplayer) {
            ytplayer.loadVideoById(id, parseInt(startSeconds));
          }
        }

        function cueNewVideo(id, startSeconds) {
          if (ytplayer) {
            ytplayer.cueVideoById(id, startSeconds);
          }
        }

        function seekTo(seconds) {
          if (ytplayer) {
            ytplayer.seekTo(seconds, true);
          }
        }