Playing video files fails to finish at end of file [#11934]

[rivorson]

When I am watching videos, MMA no longer finishes playback at the end of the file. It will continue to show a black screen with the player controls until I press the pause button or until the screen turns off. If it is left long enough for the screen to turn off then when I turn the screen back on the video immediately starts playing again from the beginning. Play count and last played time are not updated unless I press the pause button before the screen turns off. Thid happens for every video file I play.

I have submitted debug log P297JRJMNH from a Nexus 7 running Android 4.4.2 and MMA build 229, though I first noticed the bug on build 227.

[Peke]

Hi,
I can't replicate on my nexus 7 (2012) running 4.4.2. Can you open support ticket, give us more details about file played and if possible smaller samplefile.

[rivorson]

With further testing I have found that this only happens with videos that were transcoded by MMW. I tried installing the last few versions of MMW and the codec pack but the result was the same. I then installed the last few builds of MMA and found that builds up to and including 226 worked as normal. The problem started at build 227.

I have submitted a support ticket including an original video file that works normally and a copy that was transcoded by MMW which exhibits the problem.

[rivorson]

I'm not sure the support ticket has gone through properly. I clicked submit and was taken back to the support center, but my ticket list is empty. In case the ticket has been lost I have also uploaded the video files to dropbox here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hf4bw6ff5rar ... G3Q_q9?lst

[Lowlander]

Tickets can fail to create if you attach a file that's too large (should be under 2MB). Retry to open ticket with link to dropbox.

[rivorson]

Thanks, Lowlander. I have successfully created ticket TFE-890491 now.

[rusty]

Rivorson,

Thanks for the report. I tested the files that you sent and as far as I can see it isn't a bug in MMA (though there may be a bug in MMW):

When I play the original file with the stock android player, it works. When I play the converted file, it exhibits the same issue (stuck at the end of the file) as MMA. In other words, there's something wrong with the file that causes the standard Android codecs to get stuck at the end.

The question is then why did MMW create a file like that? When I do a quick examination of the converted file's properties, I see that: the size (x * y) pixels is the same, the bitrate is increased, and the audio channels are increased from 2 to 6. This doesn't make much sense to me--why would you convert the file to make it larger?! So I'm wondering if there's a testing error or a mixup in the files that have been provided. Or if it's not a mixup, can you tell me the conversion settings that you're using that would result in such a strange outcome?

Thanks!

-Rusty

[rivorson]

Thanks for looking into this, Rusty.

The bitrate and audio channels were originally set for a larger file. I chose this particular file for debugging purposes as it is one of the shortest videos in my library, but I did not change the settings on that particular encode. I did use a variety of settings more appropriate for the file after I installed older versions of MMW and the codec pack, all with the same result. I cannot remember the exact values, but I used low and high bitrates, conversion quality ranging from 0% to 100%, and 2 channel and 6 channel audio. The only settings that have remained consistent are resolution: original, framerate: original, fit size exactly: unticked, and preserve aspect ratio: ticked. My auto convert settings for syncing to MMA also use different settings to match the number of audio channels and all auto converted videos present the same issue.

I hadn't thought to use the stock video player before your post. I find that it plays the file then gives an error saying it cannot play the file when it reaches the end. VLC played the file without error, but that uses its own codecs. The thing I find most curious is that MMA build 226 did not present the issue with the exact same file on the same device, and I've been playing videos that were auto converted by MMW for the last twelve months and have never seen the issue before build 227. I do agree that the problem is caused by the file rather than MMA.

I can upload more video files converted using different settings if that will help.

[rusty]

Thanks--I'm able to replicate. Tracked at:
http://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=11934

-Rusty