Black screen when returning to video playback activity in Android

Question

I\'m currently developing the android application ServeStream and I\'ve encountered and problem that I can\'t fix. My application will stream music and video using the android M

Answer 1

I think I know the cause of the problem. It seems that mediaplayer initializes its surface ONLY when you call prepare/Async(). If you will change the surface after that, you will get what you`ve got. So the solution would be to disable standard lifecycle of activity via android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden". This will prevent your activity from recreations. Otherwise you should call for prepare each time you recreate holder.

Answer 2

EDIT: Please note this solution does not work on 4.x devices - video simply never appears, only blank screen and I couldn't make it work there.

Here's a state machine that does the following:
1. plays short couple of seconds video /res/raw/anim_mp4.mp4 (procedure initiated in onCreate() method)
2. if user presses home button then returns to app it will seek video to start position and pause immediatelly (procedure initiated in onResume() method)

package com.test.video;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.media.AudioManager;
import android.media.MediaPlayer;
import android.media.MediaPlayer.OnCompletionListener;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.os.AsyncTask;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.SurfaceHolder;
import android.view.SurfaceView;
import android.view.WindowManager;

public class MediaPlayerActivity extends Activity implements OnCompletionListener,
    MediaPlayer.OnPreparedListener, MediaPlayer.OnSeekCompleteListener, SurfaceHolder.Callback {

private final int STATE_NOT_INITIALIZED = 0;
private final int STATE_INITIALIZING = 1;
private final int STATE_INITIALIZED = 2;
private final int STATE_SEEKING = 3;
private final int STATE_DELAYING = 4;
private final int STATE_PLAYING = 5;
private final int STATE_FINISHED = 6;
private final int STATE_RESUMED = 7;
private final int STATE_RESUMED_PREPARING = 8;
private final int STATE_RESUMED_PREPARED = 9;
private final int STATE_RESUMED_SEEKING = 10;
private int state = STATE_NOT_INITIALIZED;

private SurfaceView surface;
private MediaPlayer player;
private SurfaceHolder holder;

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    Log.d(Constants.TAG, "onCreate()");
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

    getWindow().setFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_FULLSCREEN,
            WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_FULLSCREEN);
    setContentView(R.layout.mediaplayer);

    surface = (SurfaceView) findViewById(R.id.idSurface);
    holder = surface.getHolder();
    holder.addCallback(this);
    holder.setType(SurfaceHolder.SURFACE_TYPE_PUSH_BUFFERS);
}

@Override
protected void onStart() {
    Log.d(Constants.TAG, "onStart()");
    super.onStart();
    state();
}

@Override
protected void onResume() {
    Log.d(Constants.TAG, "onResume()");
    super.onResume();
    if (STATE_FINISHED == state) {
        state = STATE_RESUMED;
        state();
    }
}

@Override
protected void onDestroy() {
    Log.d(Constants.TAG, "onDestroy()");
    super.onDestroy();
    if (player != null) {
        player.release();
        player = null;
    }
}

@Override
public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder arg0, int arg1, int arg2, int arg3) {
    Log.d(Constants.TAG, "surfaceChanged()");
}

@Override
public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder arg0) {
    Log.d(Constants.TAG, "surfaceCreated()");
}

@Override
public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder arg0) {
    Log.d(Constants.TAG, "surfaceDestroyed()");
}

@Override
public void onPrepared(MediaPlayer mp) {
    Log.d(Constants.TAG, "onPrepared()");
    state();
}

@Override
public void onCompletion(MediaPlayer mp) {
    Log.d(Constants.TAG, "onCompletion()");
    state();
}

@Override
public void onSeekComplete(MediaPlayer mediaplayer) {
    Log.d(Constants.TAG, "onSeekComplete()");
    state();
}

private class ResumeDelayed extends PlayDelayed {
    protected void onPostExecute(Void result) {
        Log.d(Constants.TAG, "ResumeDelayed.onPostExecute()");
        state();
    };
}

private void initPlayer() {
    Log.d(Constants.TAG, "initPlayer()");
    try {
        if (player == null) {
            player = new MediaPlayer();
            player.setScreenOnWhilePlaying(true);
        } else {
            player.stop();
            player.reset();
        }
        String uri = "android.resource://" + getPackageName() + "/" + R.raw.anim_mp4;
        player.setDataSource(this, Uri.parse(uri));
        player.setDisplay(holder);
        player.setAudioStreamType(AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC);
        player.setOnPreparedListener(this);
        player.prepareAsync();
        player.setOnCompletionListener(this);
        player.setOnSeekCompleteListener(this);
    } catch (Throwable t) {
        Log.e(Constants.TAG, "Exception in media prep", t);
    }
}

private class PlayDelayed extends AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void> {
    @Override
    protected Void doInBackground(Void... arg0) {
        try {
            Thread.sleep(1000);
        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
            Log.e(Constants.TAG, "Can't sleep", e);
        }
        return null;
    }

    protected void onPostExecute(Void result) {
        Log.d(Constants.TAG, "PlayDelayed.onPostExecute()");
        initPlayer();
    };
}

private void state() {
    switch (state) {
        case STATE_NOT_INITIALIZED:
            state = STATE_INITIALIZING;
            initPlayer();
            break;
        case STATE_INITIALIZING:
            state = STATE_INITIALIZED;
            new PlayDelayed().execute();
            break;
        case STATE_INITIALIZED:
            state = STATE_SEEKING;
            player.start();
            player.seekTo(0);
            break;
        case STATE_SEEKING:
            state = STATE_DELAYING;
            player.pause();
            new ResumeDelayed().execute();
            break;
        case STATE_DELAYING:
            state = STATE_PLAYING;
            player.start();
            break;
        case STATE_PLAYING:
            state = STATE_FINISHED;
            break;
        case STATE_RESUMED:
            state = STATE_RESUMED_PREPARING;
            initPlayer();
            break;
        case STATE_RESUMED_PREPARING:
            state = STATE_RESUMED_PREPARED;
            new PlayDelayed().execute();
            break;
        case STATE_RESUMED_PREPARED:
            state = STATE_RESUMED_SEEKING;
            player.start();
            player.seekTo(0);
            break;
        case STATE_RESUMED_SEEKING:
            state = STATE_FINISHED;
            player.pause();
            break;
        default:
            break;
    }
}

mediaplayer.xml layout:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<FrameLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:background="@android:color/black" >

<SurfaceView
    android:id="@+id/idSurface"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_gravity="center" />

AndroidManifest.xml looks like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.test.video"
android:versionCode="1"
android:versionName="1.0" >

<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="10" />

<application
    android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
    android:theme="@android:style/Theme.Black.NoTitleBar" >
    <activity
        android:name=".MediaPlayerActivity"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:screenOrientation="portrait"
        android:theme="@android:style/Theme.Black.NoTitleBar" >
        <intent-filter>
            <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

            <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
        </intent-filter>
    </activity>
</application>

Answer 3

Do you want the activity not to be shown when you return? if yes you can simply use flag

i.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP);

If you want your media to be played in background I suggest you to use video surface as it has been irritating me playing in background though I dont want. There are ways but I hope this one will be fruitful for you http://www.brightec.co.uk/blog/custom-android-media-controller

this link actually is for customizing media controllers as you wish but as I created mine with it, I was bothered as pressing home key, the video would be played in background.

Answer 4

I have the same issue!

While video is playing I press HOME button and then return to the Application. I get in:

public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder) {
    player.setDisplay(holder);
    playVideo();
}

In the playVideo() I have:

private void playVideo() {
    if (extras.getString("video_path").equals("VIDEO_URI")) {
        showToast("Please, set the video URI in HelloAndroidActivity.java in onClick(View v) method");
    } else {
        try {
            if (flag == 0) {
                player.setDataSource(extras.getString("video_path"));
                player.prepareAsync();
                flag = 1;
            }
            else
            {
                player.start();
            }
        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
            showToast("Error while playing video");
            Log.i(TAG, "========== IllegalArgumentException ===========");
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
            showToast("Error while playing video");
            Log.i(TAG, "========== IllegalStateException ===========");
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            showToast("Error while playing video. Please, check your network connection.");
            Log.i(TAG, "========== IOException ===========");
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

And I have blank black background and hear audiostream.

I noticed that if in the first time of launching this Activity if I don't make player.setDisplay(holder); I will have the same behavior.

A spent two days trying to solve this issue...

Answer 5

You can do: mMediaPlayer.setDisplay(null) when surfaceDestroy and when you enter video again setDisplay for mediaPlayer with new surfaceHolder.
Remember, always put this code below inside onStart, because when home pressed or lockscreen, it will force `sufaceCreate' fired with new holder. View will be recreated, video will show instead black screen

    holder = mPreview.getHolder();
    holder.addCallback(this);
    holder.setType(SurfaceHolder.SURFACE_TYPE_PUSH_BUFFERS);

Hope this help!!

Answer 6

I saw the same issue simply playing video on my Galaxy S3 and on a Xoom Tablet. I turned off hardware (HW) acceleration in the player settings and it solved the problem. I don't develop for Android but hopefully this will lead you to a solution. Maybe you can toggle this setting for a workaround. The device I'm using might not have HW acceleration.