HTTP Live Streaming with AVPlayer in iOS 4.0?

Question

Is it possible to use HTTP Live Streaming with AVPlayer on iOS 4.0? This was clearly a documented feature of 4.0. However, if I run Apple\'s SitchedStreamPlayer sample code

Answer 1

This is a bug in 4.0, but I found a workaround. Here is the correct way to load video with AVPlayer:

    AVPlayer *player = [AVPlayer playerWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:@"http://qtdevseed.apple.com/addemo/ad.m3u8"]];
// now use KVO to decide when it's ready to play
// works in both 4.3 and 4.0.1

 

The code from StitchedStreamPlayer works in 4.3 but not 4.0.1:

AVURLAsset *asset = [AVURLAsset URLAssetWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:@"http://qtdevseed.apple.com/addemo/ad.m3u8"] options:nil];
    NSArray *tracksKeys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:kTracksKey, kDurationKey, kPlayableKey, nil];
    [asset loadValuesAsynchronouslyForKeys:tracksKeys completionHandler:
     ^{
         NSError *error = nil;
         AVKeyValueStatus status = [asset statusOfValueForKey:[tracksKeys objectAtIndex:0] error:&error];
         NSLog(@"status=%@,error=%@",(status==AVKeyValueStatusLoaded?@"Loaded":status==AVKeyValueStatusFailed?@"Failed":@"?!"),error);
     }];

// output in 4.3: status=Loaded,error=(null)
// output in 4.0.1:  status=Failed,error=Error Domain=AVFoundationErrorDomain Code=-11828 "Cannot Open" UserInfo=0x15f2a0 {NSLocalizedFailureReason=This media format is not supported., NSUnderlyingError=0x1599e0 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (OSStatus error -12847.)", NSLocalizedDescription=Cannot Open}

 

For more info see the old version of StitchedStreamPlayer.