Xamarin Forms Android video (VideoView) black flash on page load or back key + looping

Question

I followed this guide/copied the sample from here for implementing a Video Player for both iOS and Android in Xamarin forms: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/xamarin/xamarin

Answer 1

Edit: You can do everything below or use the new Xamarin.Forms MediaElement out of the box. Keep in mind that the MediaElement does not work yet with a StackLayout.

Mediaelement does not work within a stacklayout #2780

[Bug] MediaElement doesn't like being inside a StackLayout (particularly on Android)

In order to fix this and integrate looping in Xamarin Forms (assuming you followed the guide in the original post):

Add the code below to the end of the OnElementChanged() function

videoView.SetOnPreparedListener(new VideoLoop(videoView));

Create the videoloop class (I also wanted to loop)

using Android.Graphics;
using Android.Media;
using Android.Views;
using Android.Widget;
using YOURPROJECTHERE.Droid.FormsVideoLibrary;
using Java.Lang;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace FormsVideoLibrary.Droid
{
    public class VideoLoop : Java.Lang.Object, Android.Media.MediaPlayer.IOnPreparedListener
    {
        VideoView Video;
        public VideoLoop(VideoView video)
        {
            Video = video;
            Video.SetBackgroundColor(Android.Graphics.Color.White);
        }

        public void OnPrepared(MediaPlayer mp)
        {
            mp.SetOnInfoListener(new OnInfo(Video));

            //Remove or comment the line below if you don't want to loop
            mp.Looping = true;
            mp.Start();
        }
    }
}

Now we make the background color transparent when the first frame is pushed (not at OnPrepared because it is still buffering at that point):

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;

using Android.App;
using Android.Content;
using Android.Media;
using Android.OS;
using Android.Runtime;
using Android.Views;
using Android.Widget;

namespace YOURPOJECTNAMESPACE.Droid.FormsVideoLibrary
{
    class OnInfo : Java.Lang.Object, Android.Media.MediaPlayer.IOnInfoListener
    {
        VideoView Video;
        public OnInfo(VideoView video)
        {
            Video = video;
        }
        
        bool MediaPlayer.IOnInfoListener.OnInfo(MediaPlayer mp, MediaInfo what, int extra)
        {

            if (what == MediaInfo.VideoRenderingStart)
            {
                // video started; hide the placeholder.
                Video.SetBackgroundColor(Android.Graphics.Color.Transparent);
                return true;
            }
            return false;
        }
    }
}

I also added the below in the OnStopRequested function in the VideoRenderer class.

        void OnStopRequested(object sender, EventArgs args)
        {
            videoView.StopPlayback();
            videoView.SetBackgroundColor(Android.Graphics.Color.White);
        }

And then finally back in the forms common project xaml.cs add the below on each page with a video:

 protected override void OnAppearing()
        {
            xNAMEOFYOURVIDEO.Play();           
            xNAMEOFYOURVIDEO.Source = new ResourceVideoSource
                {
                    Path = "yourfile.mp4"
                };
        }

  protected override void OnDisappearing()
        {
            xNAMEOFYOURVIDEO.Stop();
        }