Read video stored on android native storage in my Ionic app

Question

I am developing ionic 3 app that download videos from server to the device's native storage . i used this URL to save file:

let externalDir = this.file.externalDataDirectory;

file download is fine it is downloaded and i can view it from the device. for more details the file link in the storage is:

/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/xxxxxxxx/files/VideoTest1/0.mp4

but the problem is i want to play that downloaded video into my app using <video> tag, i used the same link to view it but it doesn't work. any help? sorry for my english

Answer 1

I've been searching for a solution. I resolve this issue as follows.

After platform.ready() function I created a directory as follows.

this.file.createDir(this.file.externalDataDirectory , 'Videos', false).then(() => {
        // console.log('Directory created successfully');
      }).catch(() => {
        // console.log('Failed to create directory');
      });

To download videos inside the created directory

import { FileTransfer, FileTransferObject } from '@ionic-native/file-transfer';
import { File } from '@ionic-native/file';
import { Diagnostic } from '@ionic-native/diagnostic';
...

constructor(private diagnostic: Diagnostic,
    private transfer: FileTransfer, private file: File)


download(item) {
    let downloadProgress: any;
    const fileTransfer: FileTransferObject = this.transfer.create();
    const url = encodeURI(item.url);
    const targetPath = this.file.externalDataDirectory + 'Videos/' + item.title + '.mp4';
    this.diagnostic.requestCameraAuthorization(true).then(() => {
        fileTransfer.download(url, targetPath, true).then((entry) => {
            // console.log('download complete: ' + entry.toURL());
          }, (error) => {
              console.log(error);
          });
          fileTransfer.onProgress((progress) => {
          downloadProgress = Math.round((progress.loaded / progress.total) * 100) + '%';
              console.log('Downloading progress ...', downloadProgress);
          });
    }, (error) => {
        console.log(error);
    });

  }

That downloads a file inside the created Videos folder. You can actually find that on the device by going Android/data/com.your.app/files/.

If you're using android and that didn't work, add file.setReadable(true, false); inside FileTransfer.java.

To play the videos for offline usage Make sure these lines exist in index.html

<meta http-equiv="Content-Security-Policy" content="style-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline'; media-src *; connect-src *">

And in your config.xml file

<access origin="*" />
<allow-navigation href="*" />
<allow-navigation href="http://*/*" />
<allow-navigation href="file://*/*" />
<access origin="cdvfile://*" />
<allow-intent href="*" />
<access origin="*" />

If not add them.

Then finally in your video player page

<video id="video" controls="controls" preload="metadata" autoplay="autoplay" webkit-playsinline="webkit-playsinline" class="videoPlayer">
     <source [src]="content" type="video/mp4" />
</video>

And in the component

ionViewDidEnter() {
    this.file.listDir(this.file.externalDataDirectory, 'Videos')
      .then((data) => {
        console.log(data[0]);
        this.count = data.length;
        const src = data[0].toInternalURL();
        this.file.resolveLocalFilesystemUrl(src).then(data => {
          this.content = data.toURL();
          document.getElementById('video').setAttribute('src', this.content);
          console.log('Content path cahnged ', this.content);
        }, error => {
          console.log('File path error');
        })
      })
      .catch(err => console.log('Directory doesnt exist'));

  }

And that's it. I hope that works.

Answer 2

If you want to access any file for native storage of mobile. Then you have to create a local server of the folder you want the access of.

https://ionicframework.com/docs/native/httpd

constructor(public file:File, public ngZone : NgZone, public httpd :Httpd){
}

startLocalServe(){

    let options: HttpdOptions = {
      www_root: this.file.externalDataDirectory.replace('file://',''),
      port: 9000,
      localhost_only: true //if you want to create multiple localhost then false  
    };

    this.httpd.startServer(options).subscribe(url => {
      console.log('Server is live',url); //Server is live http://127.0.0.0.1:9000
      this.ngZone.run(()=>{
        this.localServeUrl = url;
      })

    },error => {
      console.log('Fail to start Server : ',JSON.stringify(error));
    });
  }

Now you will able to localserveUrl as src="http://127.0.0.0.1:9000/VideoTest1/0.mp4"

put the code startLocalServe in app.component.ts

this.platform.ready().then(()=>{
startLocalServe();
});