B4J Question Simple Media Manager

[Peter Lewis]

Hi All, I am trying to use Simple Media Manager as recommended by @stevel05

I manage to run the code but there is no Video on the screen. It runs streaming video with no problem. I want to switch between Video and JPG's

Here is the code I have tried

[CODE lang="b4x" title="Code"]
Sub Class_Globals
Private Root As B4XView
Private xui As XUI
Private Pane3 As B4XView
Private MediaManager As SimpleMediaManager
End Sub

Public Sub Initialize
B4XPages.GetManager.LogEvents = True
End Sub

'This event will be called once, before the page becomes visible.
Private Sub B4XPage_Created (Root1 As B4XView)
Root = Root1
Root.LoadLayout("MainPage")
MediaManager.Initialize
Dim extra As Map = CreateMap(MediaManager.REQUEST_ROUNDIMAGE: False, MediaManager.REQUEST_BACKGROUND: xui.Color_Yellow)
MediaManager.SetMediaFromFile(Pane3, File.DirAssets, "ftest.mp4", "video/mp4",extra )

End Sub

Private Sub B4XPage_Resize (Width As Int, Height As Int)
MediaManager.PanelResized(Pane3)
End Sub
[/CODE]

I have done the setting

Here is the error

Waiting for debugger to connect...
java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:566)
at java.base/sun.launcher.LauncherHelper$FXHelper.main(LauncherHelper.java:1051)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.launchApplicationWithArgs(LauncherImpl.java:458)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.launchApplication(LauncherImpl.java:363)
... 5 more
java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
at java.base/java.lang.Class.forName0(Native Method)
at java.base/java.lang.Class.forName(Class.java:398)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.loadClass(LauncherImpl.java:382)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.lambda$launchApplicationWithArgs$3(LauncherImpl.java:421)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runAndWait$12(PlatformImpl.java:455)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$10(PlatformImpl.java:428)
at java.base/java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$11(PlatformImpl.java:427)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.InvokeLaterDispatcher$Future.run(InvokeLaterDispatcher.java:96)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication._runLoop(Native Method)
at javafx.graphics/com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication.lambda$runLoop$3(WinApplication.java:174)
at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:834)
Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.net.SocketException: Connection reset
at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent2(BA.java:140)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.ShellBA.raiseEvent2(ShellBA.java:100)
at b4j.video.main.<clinit>(main.java:17)
... 12 more
Caused by: java.net.SocketException: Connection reset
at java.base/java.net.SocketInputStream.read(SocketInputStream.java:186)
at java.base/java.net.SocketInputStream.read(SocketInputStream.java:140)
at java.base/java.io.BufferedInputStream.fill(BufferedInputStream.java:252)
at java.base/java.io.BufferedInputStream.read(BufferedInputStream.java:271)
at java.base/java.io.DataInputStream.readByte(DataInputStream.java:270)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.Shell.raiseEventImpl(Shell.java:229)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.shell.Shell.raiseEvent(Shell.java:167)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.base/java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:566)
at anywheresoftware.b4a.BA.raiseEvent2(BA.java:111)
... 14 more

changing the Video type to video/* gives me this result

There must be something i am doing wrong. Please help if you know how to solve it.

Thank you

 

[AnandGupta]

You may need the "SMM_VIDEO" compile symbol
check

[B4X] SimpleMediaManager (SMM) - framework for images, videos and more

This is a simple to use, cross platform library, that does many complex things under the hood. The developer calls SetMedia with a placeholder panel and a url. The panel will show an image, video or animated gif (more formats will be added). 'Show a remote image / video / animated gif in...

www.b4x.com

 

[Peter Lewis]

You may need the "SMM_VIDEO" compile symbol
check

[B4X] SimpleMediaManager (SMM) - framework for images, videos and more

This is a simple to use, cross platform library, that does many complex things under the hood. The developer calls SetMedia with a placeholder panel and a url. The panel will show an image, video or animated gif (more formats will be added). 'Show a remote image / video / animated gif in...

www.b4x.com

I did put a picture of that incase someone though we might need it , was one of the first things done

 

[teddybear]

Hi All, I am trying to use Simple Media Manager as recommended by @stevel05

I manage to run the code but there is no Video on the screen. It runs streaming video with no problem. I want to switch between Video and JPG's

Here is the code I have tried

[CODE lang="b4x" title="Code"]
Sub Class_Globals
Private Root As B4XView
Private xui As XUI
Private Pane3 As B4XView
Private MediaManager As SimpleMediaManager
End Sub

Public Sub Initialize
B4XPages.GetManager.LogEvents = True
End Sub

'This event will be called once, before the page becomes visible.
Private Sub B4XPage_Created (Root1 As B4XView)
Root = Root1
Root.LoadLayout("MainPage")
MediaManager.Initialize
Dim extra As Map = CreateMap(MediaManager.REQUEST_ROUNDIMAGE: False, MediaManager.REQUEST_BACKGROUND: xui.Color_Yellow)
MediaManager.SetMediaFromFile(Pane3, File.DirAssets, "ftest.mp4", "video/mp4",extra )

End Sub

Private Sub B4XPage_Resize (Width As Int, Height As Int)
MediaManager.PanelResized(Pane3)
End Sub
[/CODE]

I have done the setting



Here is the error



changing the Video type to video/* gives me this result






There must be something i am doing wrong. Please help if you know how to solve it.

Thank you

Your code works.
JavaFx does not support all MP4 encoding types.
Try to convert the encoding of the ftest.mp4 to H.264, or download the dizzy.mp4 for your testing

 

[Peter Lewis]

Your code works.
JavaFx does not support all MP4 encoding types.
Try to convert the encoding of the ftest.mp4 to H.264, or download the dizzy.mp4 for your testing

Thank you , the Dizzy works. Is there b4x code to convert to H.264 ? Do you know of a way to get rid of the seek bar, volume and all controls as well as auto starting the video.

I want to fill the Pane with the video with no extra options

Thank you

 

[Erel]

Thank you , the Dizzy works. Is there b4x code to convert to H.264 ?

Maybe use ffmpeg executable with jShell.

Do you know of a way to get rid of the seek bar, volume and all controls as well as auto starting the video.

SMM uses the custom MediaView to play the video. You can use MediaView directly and have more control: https://www.b4x.com/android/forum/threads/mediaview-video-player.134666/#content

 

[TILogistic]

note:

1 Introduction to JavaFX Media (Release 8)

As you correctly noted, Oracle no longer includes JavaFX in the standard JDK. It is now maintained as OpenJFX, an open-source project led by Gluon and the community.
In 2026, the javafx.media module has evolved to support modern standards while removing legacy formats. Here are the codecs and updates available as of early 2026:

1. New & Updated Codec Support

• H.265 (HEVC): This is the most significant addition. JavaFX now supports H.265/HEVC video playback, which offers superior compression compared to H.264. It is particularly useful for high-resolution content and modern HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) delivery.
• fMP4 (Fragmented MP4): Support for fragmented MP4 containers has been stabilized. This allows JavaFX to handle modern streaming formats used by major platforms, improving compatibility with HLS.
• Apple Silicon & Metal: On macOS, the media pipeline has been optimized for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) chips. The rendering now integrates better with the Metal framework for smoother hardware-accelerated decoding.

2. Supported Formats in 2026
The current stable stack for JavaFX Media includes:

• Video: H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC).
• Audio: AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) and MP3.
• Containers: MP4, MOV, and MPEG-TS.
• Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, and HLS (including multi-language audio tracks and fMP4 support).

3. Removed/Deprecated Formats
To maintain security and reduce the library's footprint, several legacy technologies have been completely removed:

• VP6 & FLV: Flash Video (FLV) and the VP6 video codec are no longer supported.
• Old GStreamer Layers: Older versions of the GStreamer library (the internal engine for JavaFX Media) have been phased out in favor of the 1.2x series.

4. How to Implement in 2026
Since it is an external library, you must include the dependency in your pom.xml (Maven) or build.gradle (Gradle).
Maven Dependency:

xml
<dependency>
<groupId>org.openjfx</groupId>
<artifactId>javafx-media</artifactId>
<version>23</version> <!-- Current stable version as of 2026 -->
<classifier>win</classifier> <!-- or mac / linux -->
</dependency>

Usa el código con precaución.

Summary of Change
The shift from Oracle to OpenJFX has actually accelerated media updates. By decoupling from the JDK, the JavaFX team can update the internal GStreamer engine more frequently, ensuring that JavaFX apps can run H.264 and H.265 video smoothly on Windows 11, macOS, and modern Linux distros.

 

[bdunkleysmith]

As you correctly noted, Oracle no longer includes JavaFX in the standard JDK. It is now maintained as OpenJFX, an open-source project led by Gluon and the community.

Summary of Change
The shift from Oracle to OpenJFX has actually accelerated media updates. By decoupling from the JDK, the JavaFX team can update the internal GStreamer engine more frequently, ensuring that JavaFX apps can run H.264 and H.265 video smoothly on Windows 11, macOS, and modern Linux distros.

@TILogistic can you please point me to where you obtained that reference because I'm interested in the comment "ensuring that JavaFX apps can run H.264 and H.265 video smoothly on Windows 11"?

As I reported here JavaFX MediaView under Win11 in the course of discussing a problem I (and others) have encountered in playing videos in JavaFX MediaView under Win11, there is a known bug JDK-8305842 Video sometimes does not start when reinitializing in Windows 11 and when I sought progress information on a bug fix, I was advised "Yes, there was some work done on JDK-8305842. Root cause is known, but I did not had time to debug it and fix. If you have ability to convert videos to H.265/HEVC you can use it as a work around for this issue. So far there are no known issues with H.265."

As a work around I have been converting all videos to use in my "problematic" app to H.265/HEVC.

So I am interested to know why it can now be said that "JavaFX apps can run H.264 and H.265 video smoothly on Windows 11"

 

[TILogistic]

@TILogistic can you please point me to where you obtained that reference because I'm interested in the comment "ensuring that JavaFX apps can run H.264 and H.265 video smoothly on Windows 11"?

As I reported here JavaFX MediaView under Win11 in the course of discussing a problem I (and others) have encountered in playing videos in JavaFX MediaView under Win11, there is a known bug JDK-8305842 Video sometimes does not start when reinitializing in Windows 11 and when I sought progress information on a bug fix, I was advised "Yes, there was some work done on JDK-8305842. Root cause is known, but I did not had time to debug it and fix. If you have ability to convert videos to H.265/HEVC you can use it as a work around for this issue. So far there are no known issues with H.265."

As a work around I have been converting all videos to use in my "problematic" app to H.265/HEVC.

So I am interested to know why it can now be said that "JavaFX apps can run H.264 and H.265 video smoothly on Windows 11"

see:

JavaFX — Gluon

Download OpenJFX builds from Gluon — the team that maintains OpenJFX. Free, signed SDK and jmods for Linux, Windows, and macOS. Optional commercial LTS support.

gluonhq.com

Ref.

javafx.scene.media (JavaFX 24)

declaration: module: javafx.media, package: javafx.scene.media

openjfx.io

javafx.scene.media (JavaFX 25)

declaration: module: javafx.media, package: javafx.scene.media

openjfx.io

Central Repository: org/openjfx/javafx-media

 

[bdunkleysmith]

Thanks @TILogistic for those references, but I can't see in any of them the statement:
"Summary of Change
The shift from Oracle to OpenJFX has actually accelerated media updates. By decoupling from the JDK, the JavaFX team can update the internal GStreamer engine more frequently, ensuring that JavaFX apps can run H.264 and H.265 video smoothly on Windows 11, macOS, and modern Linux distros."

Have I not looked thoroughly enough through the references or is that an AI response to a question about the media handling status of JavaFX?

I am just looking for validation that H.264 videos can run "smoothly" on Windows 11 as stated given there remains an unresolved bug JDK-8305842 Video sometimes does not start when reinitializing in Windows 11 and it was acknowledged (via the the openjfx-dev mailing list) that even resolution of JDK-8366217 Update GStreamer to 1.26.5 did not fix that. I subscribe to the openjfx-dev mailing list in the forlorn hope that I'll see JDK-8305842 resolved and the (intermittent) problem of running H.264 videos in JavaFX MediaView will be a thing of the past.

 

[TILogistic]

Thanks @TILogistic for those references, but I can't see in any of them the statement:
"Summary of Change
The shift from Oracle to OpenJFX has actually accelerated media updates. By decoupling from the JDK, the JavaFX team can update the internal GStreamer engine more frequently, ensuring that JavaFX apps can run H.264 and H.265 video smoothly on Windows 11, macOS, and modern Linux distros."

Have I not looked thoroughly enough through the references or is that an AI response to a question about the media handling status of JavaFX?

I am just looking for validation that H.264 videos can run "smoothly" on Windows 11 as stated given there remains an unresolved bug JDK-8305842 Video sometimes does not start when reinitializing in Windows 11 and it was acknowledged (via the the openjfx-dev mailing list) that even resolution of JDK-8366217 Update GStreamer to 1.26.5 did not fix that. I subscribe to the openjfx-dev mailing list in the forlorn hope that I'll see JDK-8305842 resolved and the (intermittent) problem of running H.264 videos in JavaFX MediaView will be a thing of the past.

Dear Sir/Madam, I have seen all your comments in various threads on this forum, and I have reviewed your video playback logic for a game app set in an Australian city.

However, you only post your usage code in some b4j forums, but I don't see the videos where you are experiencing problems. For me, this is like working or offering solutions blindly. If you could post a video of the problematic code, it would be ideal for testing in JavaFX (Java) and B4j to understand the cause of the issues you are experiencing.

If you wish, you can send me a link to the video(s) so I can verify your problems in later versions used by B4j (OpenJDK 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) and also review your code logic.

 

[bdunkleysmith]

@TILogistic, I'm happy for you to call me Bryon.

Thank you for the offer, but I'm not seeking someone to review my code or test the videos I use in the app. I have done so much testing and with various configurations to satisfy myself that my code is OK and it is only since updating from Win10 to Win11 that the problem manifested itself. The "problem" is random/intermittent and mirrors the symptom leading to the JDK-8305842 Video sometimes does not start when reinitializing in Windows 11 bug report, particularly as my app runs a sequence of short videos and the "bug" happens randomly on disposing of a video and then loading the next. As I've said, my workaround is to recode the videos to H.265/HEVC and with my existing code running on Win11, I have no errors (as I reported here JavaFX MediaView under Win11).

The comment in your post "that JavaFX apps can run H.264 and H.265 video smoothly on Windows 11" piqued my interest and so that's why I was simply seeking the reference containing that comment.

Just for clarification it is not a "game app". It is an app which apart from displaying player statistics on a large video screen during a basketball game, can show a sequence of short player videos as they are introduced onto the court before the game.

Thanks again for your information and from my viewpoint there's no need to continue the discussion, particularly as I've somewhat hijacked the thread.