Android Question Read video stream from B4A application

[dim]

Hello,
I have written an application in Lazarus/Freepascal that uses DSPack library and generates ASF video streaming over network. Is it possible to read this stream from a B4A application?
Please note that I don't want to play a specific video file over network but to connect a B4A application to an existing video stream.
For example, I can connect to that video stream using VLC media player, using http://192.168.1.15 (my development system's IP address) and see the video stream.
Please describe which library should I use to implement this ?
Thank you in advance.

 

[Erel]

VideoView supports streaming. If the video format is supported then it should work.

 

[dim]

Thank you Erel. I use B4A version 3.82 but cannot find Videoview in libs. How can I add it ?
Also where can I find some help or examples about using it ?
Thanks !

 

[DonManfred]

https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/pages/results/?query=videoview&page=1&prefix=0

https://www.b4x.com/android/help/audio.html#videoview

As of the documentations shows a audio.html i guess you need to Check AUDIO library.

 

[dim]

Thank you DonManfred - I still did not understand how to use Videoview library.
I cannot declare "Dim vv As Videoview" because Videoview us unknown and it does not display in avalibale libraries.
Any suggestion for that ?

Also, from what I see (https://www.b4x.com/android/help/audio.html#videoview) the second parameter is a filename of a video file - but what I want to implement is connect to a streaming source, so I would expect to set only the first parameter. Is it possible to do that ?

Thank you and sorry if I don't understand something or need more explanation.

 

[dim]

OK now I got it - I must use Audio library in order to use Videoview...
I will try it - Thank you all.

 

[moster67]

1) Enable the Audio-library in the library-pane

Example code:

Sub Globals
  Dim vv As VideoView
End Sub
Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime As Boolean)
  vv.Initialize("vv")
  Activity.AddView(vv, 10dip, 10dip, 250dip, 250dip)
  vv.LoadVideo("http", "http://192.168.5.100") 'URI
  vv.Play
End Sub
Sub vv_Complete
  Log("Playing completed")
End Sub

I don't remember if the library already enables INTERNET permission otherwise you may need to add the INTERNET permission in your Android-manifest. Just search the forum for this.

 

[dim]

Thank you moster67, but the problem is that with streaming there would be no filename like "myvideofile.mp4".
Now I have an application that generates ASF video streaming and I can connect on it with VLC or Windows Media player, by setting just the URL of the system where the streaming generator ir sunning, like "http://192.168.5.100". No filename. How is that possible with Videoview ?

 

[moster67]

See the modified code example above.

vv.LoadVideo("http", "http://192.168.5.100) 'URI

You really should search the forum. If you search for VideoView you will find many examples.

 

[dim]

Thanks moster67, I have already tried this but with no success.
I search the forum for many days and but cannot find something on this, that's why I ask here.
What I search for, is an answer that this kind of stream reading is possible to be implemented on a B4A application (NOT using a video filename but a stream URL)
If someone can give some more clues, please post.

 

[moster67]

What error message do you get? Maybe it is a codec issue?
Can't you give the stream a filename in your program which generates/transcodes the original stream? Maybe you can change the codec?

Otherwise try some of the alternative video streaming libraries such as Vitamio, b4a_FFMpeg, b4aVLC which work and behave very much as the VideoView but which have more codec support. Just search for them in the forum.

 

[dim]

Thank you moster67. The error message is "Can't play this video".
I will try the other libraries too and return if still can't manage it.
Thank you very much for your help.

 

[DonManfred]

OK now I got it - I must use Audio library in order to use Videoview...

As of the documentations shows a audio.html i guess you need to Check AUDIO library.

 

[DonManfred]

You can play videostreams with mediaplayer

 

[dim]

You can play videostreams with mediaplayer

Are you sure ? Have you implemented something like that ?
Because here (https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/help-with-streaming-mediaplayer.18171/) Erel suggests using Videoview (which I did not manage to make it work yet - at least in my situation)

 

[DonManfred]

Are you sure ?

No. After reading what you wrote; maybe my brain is bitching me

 

[somed3v3loper]

Thank you moster67. The error message is "Can't play this video".
I will try the other libraries too and return if still can't manage it.
Thank you very much for your help.

I got the same message when trying to play a local .mp4 video but when playing .3gp video it works fine .

 

[dim]

No. After reading what you wrote; maybe my brain is bitching me

Sorry to hear that. On the other hand, I read many different things here, so I thought it would be better to clarify and be sure before experimenting with some library - that's why I asked.

 

[dim]

I got the same message when trying to play a local .mp4 video but when playing .3gp video it works fine .

Thank you. But did you manage to read from any kind of video stream - not a single file ?

 

[dim]

Is there someone who managed to read from an rtsp or asf stream ? If yes, using which B4A lib ? Thanks.