B4A Library ExoPlayer - MediaPlayer / VideoView Alternative

Erel · Nov 3, 2016

Edit: new version: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/exoplayer-media3-video-player.158204/

ExoPlayer is an open source project that replaces the native MediaPlayer and VideoView types.
https://google.github.io/ExoPlayer/
License: Apache 2.0

It supports more media formats, it is more powerful and more customizable.
It is supported by Android 4.1+ (API 16+).

There are two types: SimpleExoPlayer and SimpleExoPlayerView.

SimpleExoPlayer is the internal engine, it is similar to MediaPlayer. SimpleExoPlayerView provides the interface.
SimpleExoPlayer can be used without the interface.
SimpleExoPlayer should be a process global variable.

Example of video playback from an asset file (same exact code will work with audio files as well):

B4X:

Sub Process_Globals
   Private player1 As SimpleExoPlayer
End Sub

Sub Globals
   Private SimpleExoPlayerView1 As SimpleExoPlayerView
End Sub

Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime As Boolean)
   If FirstTime Then
     player1.Initialize("player")
     player1.Prepare(player1.CreateFileSource(File.DirAssets, "BLE_Chat.mp4"))
   End If
   Activity.LoadLayout("1")
   SimpleExoPlayerView1.Player = player1 'Connect the interface to the engine
End Sub

You can use player.CreateUriSource to load a remote resource:

B4X:

player1.Prepare(player1.CreateUriSource("https://..."))

Or you can use one of the following methods for streaming resources:

CreateHLSSource - Http Live Streaming
CreateDashSource - Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over Http
CreateSmoothStreamingSource - Smooth Streaming

You can also create a playlist with multiple sources:

B4X:

Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime As Boolean)
   If FirstTime Then
     player1.Initialize("player")
     Dim sources As List
     sources.Initialize
     sources.Add(player1.CreateDashSource("http://www.youtube.com/api/manifest/dash/id/bf5bb2419360daf1/source/youtube?as=fmp4_audio_clear,fmp4_sd_hd_clear&sparams=ip,ipbits,expire,source,id,as&ip=0.0.0.0&ipbits=0&expire=19000000000&signature=51AF5F39AB0CEC3E5497CD9C900EBFEAECCCB5C7.8506521BFC350652163895D4C26DEE124209AA9E&key=ik0"))
     sources.Add(player1.CreateHLSSource("https://devimages.apple.com.edgekey.net/streaming/examples/bipbop_4x3/bipbop_4x3_variant.m3u8"))
     sources.Add(player1.CreateUriSource("http://html5demos.com/assets/dizzy.mp4"))
     player1.Prepare(player1.CreateListSource(sources))

   End If
   Activity.LoadLayout("1")
   SimpleExoPlayerView1.Player = player1
   player1.Play
End Sub

The library is attached.

It depends on several additional aar files (should be copied to the additional libraries folder):
www.b4x.com/android/files/exoplayer-additional_libs.zip

Updates:

V1.52 - Previous fix was incomplete. New version solves the issue.
V1.51 - Fixes an incompatibility between ExoPlayer and Firebase. Make sure to update the additional libs package.
V1.50 - New version based on ExoPlayer 2.13.3 (https://github.com/google/ExoPlayer/blob/release-v2/RELEASENOTES.md). The additional libs package was also updated.
V1.41 - Fixes a bug where the designer properties where missing.
V1.40 - Based on ExoPlayer v2.11.3. Make sure to update the additional libs as well.

V1.30 - New InitializeCustom method that allows creating the native player with JavaObject.

V1.20 - Based on ExoPlayer v2.10.2. This is a large update. Not all existing customizations (based on JavaObject) will work without modifications.

V1.10 - Based on ExoPlayer v2.5.3.

Make sure to update the additional aar files as well.

JOTHA · Jul 24, 2017

Hello Forum,

i want to show 3 or 4 videos from youtube one after the other with the ExoPlayer.
Unfortunately, this does not work at the moment.

If I copy the string from the video into the PC browser, then the video is displayed on the PC.
But if I add the string with ExoPlayer to the list (in the code) and start the app, it does NOT work.

This example here works well:

B4X:

sources.Add (player1.CreateHLSSource ( "https://devimages.apple.com.edgekey.net/streaming/examples/bipbop_4x3/bipbop_4x3_variant.m3u8"))

... but this code does NOT work (it is a Tutorial for B4A Beginners on YouTube):

B4X:

Sources.Add (player1.CreateHLSSource ("https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmBXrwEYUMQ"))

The error message from the Logfile:

com.google.android.exoplayer2.ParserException: Failed to parse the playlist, could not identify any tags.

The question is: Which tags should be identified?
There are no tags defined in the working example code above.

The app should show 3-4 videos, which are stored on YouTube and it should be possible to choose a video by clicking on a Spinner.
... but in the moment I do not get even one single video to run!

Could someone please post an example code, wich can display for example the "Tutorial for B4A-Beginners" or another video on YouTube?

Thank you in advance ... i'm grateful for every tip.

Erel · Jul 24, 2017

It will not work with YouTube urls. See this thread for a solution that worked in the past: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/exoplayer-youtube-dash.75195/#content

You might find the updated links.

Ehsan Tamjidi · Sep 10, 2017

hi there
I know this is too late
Generating R File Error on release but I have no issues with debug mode, thanks for your answers

cheers

Erel · Sep 10, 2017

Try to update Android SDK using the new SDK tool: https://www.b4x.com/search?query=SDK

Ehsan Tamjidi · Sep 18, 2017

hi there

could anyone help me with this sream "http://client-proiptv.com:8080/live/isle/3Yo5k6967B/11481.ts" I can not play it with exoplayer

thanks

DonManfred · Sep 18, 2017

1. Create a new thread in the questionsforum for your question.
2. The stream does not work on Windows in VLC too. I dont think it is a problem with ExoPlayer

Kwame Twum · Sep 18, 2017

Hello, everyone.
I used an api [saveitoffline - https://www.saveitoffline.com/api/] to get video url from a source which exoplayer couldn't play directly.
The resulting url from one of them is: https://www.saveitoffline.com/get/?i=dxRJIKd8u6krPBi4Rx2AcJ0ide6inyJp

The above url when directly accessed attempts to download the video, indicating it indeed has been saved.
However, I get errors when I try to create a source out of the url. Below are the errors.

B4X:

'vi is a SimpleExoPlayer instance
'act is the url derived from the api

vi.Prepare(vi.CreateHLSSource(act)) 'Error: com.google.android.exoplayer2.ParserException: Failed to parse the playlist, could not identify any tags.

vi.Prepare(vi.CreateUriSource(act)) 'Error: com.google.android.exoplayer2.source.ExtractorMediaSource$UnrecognizedInputFormatException: None of the available extractors (MatroskaExtractor, FragmentedMp4Extractor, Mp4Extractor, Mp3Extractor, AdtsExtractor, Ac3Extractor, TsExtractor, FlvExtractor, OggExtractor, PsExtractor, WavExtractor) could read the stream.

vi.Prepare(vi.CreateDashSource(act)) 'Error: com.google.android.exoplayer2.ParserException: inputStream does not contain a valid media presentation description

vi.Prepare(vi.CreateSmoothStreamingSource(act)) 'Error: com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.HttpDataSource$InvalidResponseCodeException: Response code: 404

Any idea what could be done about this?

analizer3816 · Sep 18, 2017

B4X:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Error><Code>AccessDenied</Code><Message>Access Denied</Message><RequestId>27BB93CADACCC7FA</RequestId><HostId>6Ghq8BqFyzfeZQEj6NQQqfZsz07jNrIvZHUpF6tqewslnri9nS1ezC/8/0gpTt4zw5jBLD3oDsE=</HostId></Error>

Kwame Twum said:
Hello, everyone.
I used an api [saveitoffline - https://www.saveitoffline.com/api/] to get video url from a source which exoplayer couldn't play directly.
The resulting url from one of them is: https://www.saveitoffline.com/get/?i=dxRJIKd8u6krPBi4Rx2AcJ0ide6inyJp

The above url when directly accessed attempts to download the video, indicating it indeed has been saved.
However, I get errors when I try to create a source out of the url. Below are the errors.

B4X:

'vi is a SimpleExoPlayer instance 'act is the url derived from the api vi.Prepare(vi.CreateHLSSource(act)) 'Error: com.google.android.exoplayer2.ParserException: Failed to parse the playlist, could not identify any tags. vi.Prepare(vi.CreateUriSource(act)) 'Error: com.google.android.exoplayer2.source.ExtractorMediaSource$UnrecognizedInputFormatException: None of the available extractors (MatroskaExtractor, FragmentedMp4Extractor, Mp4Extractor, Mp3Extractor, AdtsExtractor, Ac3Extractor, TsExtractor, FlvExtractor, OggExtractor, PsExtractor, WavExtractor) could read the stream. vi.Prepare(vi.CreateDashSource(act)) 'Error: com.google.android.exoplayer2.ParserException: inputStream does not contain a valid media presentation description vi.Prepare(vi.CreateSmoothStreamingSource(act)) 'Error: com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.HttpDataSource$InvalidResponseCodeException: Response code: 404

Any idea what could be done about this?

I open this file and got this, can you give me source url?

B4X:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Error><Code>AccessDenied</Code><Message>Access Denied</Message><RequestId>27BB93CADACCC7FA</RequestId><HostId>6Ghq8BqFyzfeZQEj6NQQqfZsz07jNrIvZHUpF6tqewslnri9nS1ezC/8/0gpTt4zw5jBLD3oDsE=</HostId></Error>

Kwame Twum · Sep 18, 2017

Here, try these... they both gave the same errors after extracting

http://rutube.ru/play/embed/10598224
http://streamable.com/e/kmfy1

analizer3816 · Sep 18, 2017

Kwame Twum said:
Here, try these... they both gave the same errors after extracting

http://rutube.ru/play/embed/10598224
http://streamable.com/e/kmfy1

rutube deny other host then saveitoffline can't get real link, contact saveitoffline staff
or try this with yourself
https://github.com/rutube/php-api-client

Kwame Twum · Sep 18, 2017

Thanks for the assistance, will try it out.

cruzeiro991 · Oct 3, 2017

Hello.
I'm trying to make a app to play streamings by uri but the exoplayer only plays the first url, after release, initialize and create new resource it's play the same video. What's happening?

DonManfred · Oct 3, 2017

Create a new thread for your question. Make sure to post the relevant code (or better a small example project).

Lucas Eduardo · Feb 6, 2018

How can i play https video in exoplayer? Because when i try to play in VLC, for example, It ask me to accept the certificate. Is there a way to do this in exoplayer?

I get the following error Error: com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.HttpDataSource$HttpDataSourceException: Unable to connect to https://.....rest of the link

Shivito1 · Feb 6, 2018

Lucas Eduardo said:
How can i play https video in exoplayer? Because when i try to play in VLC, for example, It ask me to accept the certificate. Is there a way to do this in exoplayer?

I get the following error Error: com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.HttpDataSource$HttpDataSourceException: Unable to connect to https://.....rest of the link

There are examples here : https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/exoplayer-mediaplayer-videoview-alternative.72652/#content

You may need to get the direct link for the video you wish to stream. In the past I have used YouTube-dl Which is not a library but an executable I ran on my computer. Sometimes you can find a direct link in the source code of the webpage. Not simplistic nore automated approach though.

Erel · Feb 6, 2018

Thread locked. Please start a new thread for any question you have.

Erel · Dec 3, 2018

Example updated. The previous video links were no longer valid.

Erel · Jul 2, 2019

V1.20 - Based on ExoPlayer v2.10.2. This is a large update. Not all existing customizations (based on JavaObject) will work without modifications.

Erel · Oct 1, 2019

V1.30 - New InitializeCustom method that allows creating the native player with JavaObject.

Erel · Mar 22, 2020

Update: V1.40 - Based on ExoPlayer v2.11.3.

B4A Library ExoPlayer - MediaPlayer / VideoView Alternative

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