video only plays from SD card file

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video only plays from SD card file

Need to find a way of playing it from the R.raw.passthedrink

Original issue reported on code.google.com by megbec...@gmail.com on 26 Jun 2009 at 1:29

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Original comment by megbec...@gmail.com on 26 Jun 2009 at 2:04

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The following thread explains/points out that VideoView can only handle paths 
and uri
not resource ids.

http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/browse_thread/thread/de2ca9f5e
302d757/b891f66aeef79001?hl=en&q=android+videoview#b891f66aeef79001

Two options:
1) Create a routine at start of the game to check that the video is on the 
sdcard. If
it is continue, if it isn't copy the bits over from the resource file.

2) Create our own video view using MediaPlayer

Original comment by Morrison...@gmail.com on 26 Jun 2009 at 6:57

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Try this...

1. Create a new VideoView using the constructor that just takes a Context.
2. Use the static factory method on MediaPlayer, create(Context context, int 
resid), 
using the resId of the video.
3. Call the setDisplay method on the newly created MediaPlayer, passing the 
VideoView.
4. Voila!

Let me know if that doesn't work.

Original comment by megbec...@gmail.com on 26 Jun 2009 at 3:10

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Tried it. Didn't work.

Went back to APIDemos from the SDK samples and verified that using a resid in 
the
static factory of MediaPlayer like audio doesn't work with video.

Also tried a variation with AssetFileDescriptor as shown below without success.

AssetFileDescriptor afd = getResources().openRawResourceFd(R.raw.passthedrink);
                    mMediaPlayer = new MediaPlayer();
                    mMediaPlayer.setDataSource(afd.getFileDescriptor());

I'm thinking two possibilities now:
1) On pages 40-41 of the Google IO session on media framework:
http://dl.google.com/io/2009/pres/Mastering_the_Android_Media_Framework.pdf
there is a mention of for security reasons only allowing access to the SD card.
Perhaps video isn't allowed since the codecs are more complicated than audio.

2) Video from the apk is intentionally disabled for performance reasons. Access 
to
flash ROM is okay for audio rendering but the bandwidth requirements for video 
would
kill the O/S??

Fallback solution is still to copy the video bits onto the SD card.

Original comment by Morrison...@gmail.com on 29 Jun 2009 at 7:43

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Or the android packager puts them in a compressed state even though it is in 
the raw
directory
http://groups.google.com/group/android-beginners/browse_thread/thread/9bb4f25b67
16f06f/8192d25b7b2fe4d2?q=video+from+raw+resource#8192d25b7b2fe4d2

Original comment by Morrison...@gmail.com on 29 Jun 2009 at 7:53

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sigh I have to set all these issues to notify me... anyway just seeing these 
now and
attempted at the same solutions as well (although AssetFileDescriptor looked 
most
promising - we just have to replace VideoView with our own versio that copies 
to a
temp file or the app's files folder).

Copying to sdcard just requires another permission which imo is a put off when 
trying
out a new game.

I checked in my commented out attempts as before

Original comment by dario.nycjava@gmail.com on 29 Jun 2009 at 8:15

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I've also been playing with it the past few days and have come to many of the 
same 
conclusions, however, if you put the video into the assets folder, instead of 
the 
res/raw folder, then I don't believe it gets compressed.

I see what the Google I/O presentation says about the Media Server only having 
access 
to the SDCard, however, it also provides the AssetManager code example of 
playing a 
file directly from a resource.  I'd like to think they tested their code before 
putting it on the slide, and wonder if they are differentiating between a media 
player and the media server.   :o)

Having said all of that, rather than burn all of our cycles on the "get ready" 
screen, copying to the SDCard is perhaps the easiest way to go.

Original comment by megbec...@gmail.com on 29 Jun 2009 at 8:18

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BTW, here is the thread that makes me think it should be possible.

http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/browse_thread/thread/666889885
6f8f090

Original comment by megbec...@gmail.com on 29 Jun 2009 at 9:20

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AssetFileDescriptor -> MediaPlayer

Original comment by dario.nycjava@gmail.com on 30 Jun 2009 at 12:45

• Changed state: Fixed

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marking all previously done issues as verified

Original comment by dario.nycjava@gmail.com on 1 Oct 2010 at 3:49

• Changed state: Verified