Video not working when streaming to mediaplayer-app

[Fredrik Sundström]

Video is not working (but audio is) when streaming to MX4 Ubuntu edition using mediaplayer-app

I stream a film from an ubuntu server with vlc using the command:
vlc --intf ncurses file:///media/tvmedia/"film.avi" --sout '#transcode{vcodec=h264,acodec=mp3,ab=128,channels=2,samplerate=44100}:http{mux=ffmpeg{mux=flv},dst=:8081/}' --sout-keep

I can watch the stream on any computer but when I try to watch it on an Meizu MX4, Ubuntu Touch, using the command "ubuntu-app-launch mediaplayer-app http://192.168.1.9:8081" the following happens:
- The mediaplayer starts
- The screen goes black
- When I touch the screen I get the controls at the bottom
- I hear the audio fine as the video plays
- The screen stays black

I have installed gstreamer1.0-libav

$system-image-cli --info
current build number: 3
device name: arale
channel: ubuntu-touch/stable/meizu.en
last update: 2015-07-26 09:51:33
version version: 3
version ubuntu: 20150720
version device: 20150709-8965e37
version custom: 20150716-819-8-42

[Pat McGowan (pat-mcgowan)]

Is this still valid in r6 (ota7)?

What format is the video?

[Fredrik Sundström (fredrik-per-sundstrom)]

Yes, I just tested again (and I have r6), same result.

The video format of the file (output from the command "file film.avi"):
film.avi: RIFF (little-endian) data, AVI, 720 x 304, 23.98 fps, video:
XviD, audio: Dolby AC3 (6 channels, 48000 Hz)

I tested some other films with other formats with the same result. (vlc
encode it all to vcodec=h264,acodec=mp3)

Below is more info about the file film.avi and further down for one other
film I tried with the same result. I'm using the command "mplayer -vo null
-ao null -identify -frames 0 film.avi":

BR/Fredrik

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MPlayer 1.1-4.8 (C) 2000-2012 MPlayer Team
mplayer: could not connect to socket
mplayer: No such file or directory
Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote
control.

Playing film.avi.
libavformat version 54.63.104 (external)
Mismatching header version 54.20.3
AVI file format detected.
ID_VIDEO_ID=0
[aviheader] Video stream found, -vid 0
ID_AUDIO_ID=1
[aviheader] Audio stream found, -aid 1
VIDEO: [XVID] 720x304 24bpp 23.976 fps 1784.6 kbps (217.8 kbyte/s)
Clip info:
 Software: VirtualDubMod 1.5.10.2 (build 2542/release)
ID_CLIP_INFO_NAME0=Software
ID_CLIP_INFO_VALUE0=VirtualDubMod 1.5.10.2 (build 2542/release)
ID_CLIP_INFO_N=1
Load subtitles in ./
ID_FILENAME=film.avi
ID_DEMUXER=avi
ID_VIDEO_FORMAT=XVID
ID_VIDEO_BITRATE=1784584
ID_VIDEO_WIDTH=720
ID_VIDEO_HEIGHT=304
ID_VIDEO_FPS=23.976
ID_VIDEO_ASPECT=0.0000
ID_AUDIO_FORMAT=8192
ID_AUDIO_BITRATE=384000
ID_AUDIO_RATE=0
ID_AUDIO_NCH=0
ID_START_TIME=0.00
ID_LENGTH=6890.63
ID_SEEKABLE=1
ID_CHAPTERS=0
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
libavcodec version 54.92.100 (external)
Mismatching header version 54.35.0
Unsupported AVPixelFormat 53
Unsupported AVPixelFormat 109
Selected video codec: [ffodivx] vfm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg MPEG-4)
==========================================================================
ID_VIDEO_CODEC=ffodivx
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg/libavcodec audio decoders
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, floatle, 384.0 kbit/12.50% (ratio: 48000->384000)
ID_AUDIO_BITRATE=384000
ID_AUDIO_RATE=48000
ID_AUDIO_NCH=2
Selected audio codec: [ffac3] afm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg AC-3)
==========================================================================
AO: [null] 48000Hz 2ch floatle (4 bytes per sample)
ID_AUDIO_CODEC=ffac3
Starting playback...

Exiting... (End of file)
ID_EXIT=EOF
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
MPlayer 1.1-4.8 (C) 2000-2012 MPlayer Team
mplayer: could not connect to socket
mplayer: No such file or directory
Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote
control.

Playing film2.mkv.
libavformat version 54.63.104 (external)
Mismatching header version 54.20.3
libavformat file format detected.
ID_CHAPTER_ID=0
ID_CHAPTER_0_START=0
ID_CHAPTER_0_END=142309
ID_CHAPTER_0_NAME=Chapter 1
ID_CHAPTER_ID=1
ID_CHAPTER_1_STA...

[Bill Filler (bfiller)]

this is a media-hub issue, not the app. Sounds like media-hub not properly handling that codec. Can you stream anything properly with media-hub?

[Fredrik Sundström (fredrik-per-sundstrom)]

I'm not aware of what is media-hub or mediaplayer-app, but I only use the
command "ubuntu-app-launch mediaplayer-app http://192.168.1.9:8081" on the
phone.

I have tested a number of different codecs and mux options in the vlc
command on the server. The combination in the bug report is the one I found
to work best
(#transcode{vcodec=h264,acodec=mp3,ab=128,channels=2,samplerate=44100}:http{mux=ffmpeg{mux=flv},dst=:8081/}),
the others I've tried does not even produce sound on the phone.

2015-12-03 0:15 GMT+01:00 Bill Filler <email address hidden>:

> this is a media-hub issue, not the app. Sounds like media-hub not
> properly handling that codec. Can you stream anything properly with
> media-hub?
>
> ** No longer affects: mediaplayer-app (Ubuntu)
>
> ** Changed in: media-hub (Ubuntu)
> Assignee: (unassigned) => Jim Hodapp (jhodapp)
>
> ** Changed in: media-hub (Ubuntu RTM)
> Assignee: (unassigned) => Jim Hodapp (jhodapp)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1485228
>
> Title:
> Video not working when streaming to mediaplayer-app
>
> Status in Canonical System Image:
> Incomplete
> Status in media-hub package in Ubuntu:
> New
> Status in media-hub package in Ubuntu RTM:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> Video is not working (but audio is) when streaming to MX4 Ubuntu
> edition using mediaplayer-app
>
> I stream a film from an ubuntu server with vlc using the command:
> vlc --intf ncurses file:///media/tvmedia/"film.avi" --sout
> '#transcode{vcodec=h264,acodec=mp3,ab=128,channels=2,samplerate=44100}:http{mux=ffmpeg{mux=flv},dst=:8081/}'
> --sout-keep
>
> I can watch the stream on any computer but when I try to watch it on an
> Meizu MX4, Ubuntu Touch, using the command "ubuntu-app-launch
> mediaplayer-app http://192.168.1.9:8081" the following happens:
> - The mediaplayer starts
> - The screen goes black
> - When I touch the screen I get the controls at the bottom
> - I hear the audio fine as the video plays
> - The screen stays black
>
> I have installed gstreamer1.0-libav
>
> $system-image-cli --info
> current build number: 3
> device name: arale
> channel: ubuntu-touch/stable/meizu.en
> last update: 2015-07-26 09:51:33
> version version: 3
> version ubuntu: 20150720
> version device: 20150709-8965e37
> version custom: 20150716-819-8-42
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/canonical-devices-system-image/+bug/1485228/+subscriptions
>

[Jim Hodapp (jhodapp)]

@Fredrik: media-hub is the backend daemon process that is responsible for setup and control of just about every piece of media playback on the Ubuntu Touch platform.