Android VideoView not playing Portrait Orientation

Question

THE PLATFORM: Developing in Eclipse using Android SDK 16.

THE PROBLEM: I have a VideoView element that is supposed to fill the entire screen in 480x800 (PORTRAIT ORIENTATION) and it plays fine, but will not orient to portrait. It sticks in landscape mode and the aspect ratio is skewed to fit that way.

WHAT I HAVE ATTEMPTED:

using android:screenOrientation="portrait" in manifest
using android:orientation="vertical" in the container and the VideoView itself
using setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT); right before I call setContentView
trying to set the layout width and height to 480dpx800dp instead of fill_parent
trying to set the VideoView width and height to 480px x 800dp instead of fill_parent
switching off the auto rotate display

THE XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="480dp"
    android:layout_height="800dp"
    android:background="#000000" 
    android:orientation="vertical" > 

    <VideoView
        android:id="@+id/opening_video"
        android:layout_width="480dp"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" 
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true" 
        android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" 
        android:layout_height="800dp"
        android:orientation="vertical" /> 

    <ImageButton
        android:id="@+id/imageButton1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:src="@drawable/transparent_button"
        android:contentDescription="@string/back_button_desc"
        android:background="@android:color/transparent" />

</RelativeLayout>

THE CODE:

@Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_start_screen);

        VideoView videoView = (VideoView) findViewById(R.id.opening_video);  

        Uri pathToVideo = Uri.parse("android.resource://com.example.consumerengage/" + R.raw.opening_tablet);  
        videoView.setVideoURI(pathToVideo);  
        videoView.setOnPreparedListener(new OnPreparedListener() {
            @Override
            public void onPrepared(MediaPlayer mp) {
                mp.setLooping(true);
            }
        });        

        videoView.requestFocus();  
        videoView.start(); 

       // boolean isPlaying = videoView.isPlaying() ; 

       // videoView.stopPlayback();  
       // videoView.clearFocus(); 

       addListenerOnButton();

    }

THE QUESTION: Nothing I have attempted has been successful. How can I get my 480x800 video to play in portrait orientation?

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 19 '13 at 14:45

2

Are you certain your video is is 480x800 and not 800x480? 800x480 is a standard resolution, if you record a video in portrait with a phone the output will still be 800x480 and to have normal playback the video should be turned 90 degrees. What you are describing is what would happen if you try to play a 800x480 video in a 480x800 videoView. If this is the case you could rotate it with video editing software like Windows Live Moviemaker or iMovie if you are on Mac.

answered Feb 19 '13 at 14:45

Raymond P

752
2
15
27

We actually cut the video with professional editing software Final Cut Pro in several different resolutions, codecs, and orientations. The strange thing was that it plays fine on one tablet but is weird on another. – Rick Scolaro Feb 20 '13 at 16:22
The coby kyros 7036 (ICS) played the video the wrong way while the coby kyros 7022 (Gingerbread) played it correctly. – Rick Scolaro Feb 25 '13 at 15:56

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 20 '13 at 19:02

You are using dp where you should be using px:

<VideoView
    android:id="@+id/opening_video"
    android:layout_width="480px"
    android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
    android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" 
    android:layout_alignParentTop="true" 
    android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" 
    android:layout_height="800px"
    android:orientation="vertical" /> 

<ImageButton
    android:id="@+id/imageButton1"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:src="@drawable/transparent_button"
    android:contentDescription="@string/back_button_desc"
    android:background="@android:color/transparent" />

Or, alternatively (and better) - just use match_parent (or fill_parent):

<VideoView
    android:id="@+id/opening_video"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
    android:layout_alignParentLeft="true" 
    android:layout_alignParentTop="true" 
    android:layout_alignParentBottom="true" 
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:orientation="vertical" /> 

<ImageButton
    android:id="@+id/imageButton1"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:src="@drawable/transparent_button"
    android:contentDescription="@string/back_button_desc"
    android:background="@android:color/transparent" />

Suleman Khan · Answer 3 · 2012-12-19T05:13:33.653

0

Try this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:background="#000000"> 

    <VideoView
        android:id="@+id/opening_video"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content" /> 

    <ImageButton
        android:id="@+id/imageButton1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:src="@drawable/transparent_button"
        android:contentDescription="@string/back_button_desc"
        android:background="@android:color/transparent" />

</RelativeLayout>

Hope this helps. And also check your manifest file too.

edited Dec 19 '12 at 05:13

answered Oct 29 '12 at 06:18

Suleman Khan

634
1
10
23

After changing my XML to the above settings, the video still plays horizontally and not vertically. – Rick Scolaro Oct 29 '12 at 14:00
@RickS The mistake you are making is defining fixed height and width to your layout and videoview. Just use the default match parent and just write android:screenOrientation="portrait" in activity of your manifest file. – Suleman Khan Dec 19 '12 at 05:17
remove android:screenOrientation from your activity in manifeast file – AMD Feb 19 '13 at 13:16

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 08 '13 at 21:09

Here's what I ended up doing:

The issue was the OS version. If it was ICS (4.0) and above, it would play the video on its side, so upon detecting android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT of 14 or greater, I load the video that is built on its side so it plays the right way.

This is a very silly workaround, and I never really got the answer to my question. The video should not play like that.

Android VideoView not playing Portrait Orientation

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