media player - Android MediaPlayer error (1, -2147483648)

Question

I have two different videos which I'm trying to load into a VideoView using

videoView.setVideoURI(Uri.parse(url));

The two videos, let them be video 1 and video 2, have the following specs (extracted using ffmpeg -i); in fact, they are two different encodings of the same video:

1. Video 1:

   Seems stream 0 codec frame rate differs from container frame rate: 180000.00 (180000/1) -> 90000.00 (180000/2)
   Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '4fbfd5ece4b0932236fc234d.mp4':
     Metadata:
       major_brand     : mp42
       minor_version   : 0
       compatible_brands: mp42isomavc1
       creation_time   : 2011-12-03 04:43:46
       genre           : Trailer
       artist          : Paramount Pictures
       title           : Captain America: The First Avenger - Theatrical Trailer #2
       encoder         : HandBrake 4344svn 2011111001
       date            : 2011
     Duration: 00:02:30.67, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 6738 kb/s
       Stream #0.0(und): Video: h264 (High), yuv420p, 1920x800 [PAR 1:1 DAR 12:5], 6575 kb/s, 23.97 fps, 90k tbr, 90k tbn, 180k tbc
       Metadata:
         creation_time   : 2011-12-03 04:43:46
       Stream #0.1(eng): Audio: aac, 48000 Hz, stereo, s16, 159 kb/s
       Metadata:
         creation_time   : 2011-12-03 04:43:46
   

2. Video 2:

   Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '500416ea44aeb4b95d5ae8a0_hd.mp4':
     Metadata:
       major_brand     : isom
       minor_version   : 512
       compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
       creation_time   : 2011-12-03 04:43:46
       title           : Captain America: The First Avenger - Theatrical Trailer #2
       artist          : Paramount Pictures
       date            : 2011
       encoder         : Lavf53.32.100
       genre           : Trailer
     Duration: 00:02:30.69, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 2045 kb/s
       Stream #0.0(und): Video: h264 (High), yuv420p, 1280x720 [PAR 27:20 DAR 12:5], 1889 kb/s, 23.99 fps, 90k tbr, 180k tbn, 180k tbc
       Metadata:
         creation_time   : 2011-12-03 04:43:46
       Stream #0.1(eng): Audio: aac, 44100 Hz, stereo, s16, 151 kb/s
       Metadata:
         creation_time   : 2011-12-03 04:43:46
   

I am aware that AAC support came with Honeycomb, and therefore I tested the videos with several devices; the results are given below:

1. SGS II with custom 4.0.3 OS(Sensation ROM 3.4 with CF-Root kernel) - Video 1:OK - Video2:OK
2. SGS I with Samsung 2.3.3 OS - Video 1:error (1, -2147483648) - Video 2:OK
3. SGS I with custom 4.0.3 OS(ICS SGS TEAM ROM with Devil kernel) - Video 1:error (1, -2147483648) - Video 2:OK
4. Nexus One with original 2.3.6 OS - Video 1:See (1) below - Video 2:See (2) below
5. Emulator with 2.2 OS - Video 1:error (1, -2147483648) - Video 2:error (1, -2147483648)
6. Emulator with 4.0.3 OS - Video 1:error (1, -2147483648) - Video 2:error (1, -2147483648)

Both videos play fine in Google Chrome in a PC. It might be useful to add that in the OK case, video and audio both play correctly. In the error (1, -2147483648) case, the same log is spewed from all devices (except Nexus One):

07-18 10:25:10.996: I/MediaPlayer(17860): uri is:http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/cf-templates-k6ohn88yswx5-eu-west-1/videos/4fbc88e7e4b0b0896e877764/4fbfd5ece4b0932236fc234d.mp4
07-18 10:25:10.996: I/MediaPlayer(17860): path is null
07-18 10:25:10.996: D/MediaPlayer(17860): Couldn't open file on client side, trying server side
07-18 10:25:39.859: D/MediaPlayer(17860): getMetadata
07-18 10:25:45.070: E/MediaPlayer(17860): error (1, -2147483648)
07-18 10:25:45.074: E/MediaPlayer(17860): Error (1,-2147483648)
07-18 10:25:45.078: D/VideoView(17860): Error: 1,-2147483648

In the (1) case, the following log is spewed from Nexus One, and the video never loads:

07-18 13:49:20.115: D/MediaPlayer(10109): Couldn't open file on client side, trying server side
07-18 13:49:20.115: I/StagefrightPlayer(68): setDataSource('http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/cf-templates-k6ohn88yswx5-eu-west-1/videos/4fbc88e7e4b0b0896e877764/4fbfd5ece4b0932236fc234d.mp4')
07-18 13:49:20.135: I/NuHTTPDataSource(68): connect to s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com:80/cf-templates-k6ohn88yswx5-eu-west-1/videos/4fbc88e7e4b0b0896e877764/4fbfd5ece4b0932236fc234d.mp4 @0
07-18 13:49:20.155: I/ActivityManager(98): Displayed com.woisio/.video.VideoActivity: +450ms
07-18 13:49:20.795: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:49:22.185: I/OMXCodec(68): [OMX.qcom.video.decoder.avc] allocating 4 buffers of size 460800 on input port
07-18 13:49:22.195: I/OMXCodec(68): [OMX.qcom.video.decoder.avc] allocating 8 buffers of size 2304000 on output port
07-18 13:49:25.325: D/dalvikvm(9499): GC_EXPLICIT freed 13K, 50% free 2726K/5379K, external 1625K/2137K, paused 116ms
07-18 13:49:27.525: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:49:28.235: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Cache full, done prefetching for now
07-18 13:49:30.275: D/dalvikvm(9902): GC_EXPLICIT freed 8K, 50% free 2714K/5379K, external 1625K/2137K, paused 69ms
07-18 13:49:34.255: D/Finsky(9066): [1] 5.onFinished: Installation state replication succeeded.
07-18 13:49:35.855: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:49:39.055: D/dalvikvm(9911): GC_EXPLICIT freed 22K, 50% free 2710K/5379K, external 1625K/2137K, paused 38ms
07-18 13:49:42.575: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:49:43.285: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:49:44.095: D/dalvikvm(9918): GC_EXPLICIT freed 7K, 50% free 2708K/5379K, external 1625K/2137K, paused 66ms
07-18 13:49:49.085: D/dalvikvm(9925): GC_EXPLICIT freed 15K, 49% free 3268K/6407K, external 1625K/2137K, paused 50ms
07-18 13:49:50.925: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:49:54.115: D/dalvikvm(6756): GC_EXPLICIT freed 9K, 44% free 3774K/6727K, external 1625K/2137K, paused 77ms
07-18 13:49:57.685: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:49:58.375: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:49:59.105: D/dalvikvm(9066): GC_EXPLICIT freed 385K, 53% free 3186K/6727K, external 1625K/2137K, paused 66ms
07-18 13:50:05.955: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:50:06.045: D/dalvikvm(8047): GC_EXPLICIT freed 9K, 47% free 3830K/7111K, external 1625K/2137K, paused 86ms
07-18 13:50:09.465: I/3gw.Service(488): Mobile Network not connected - not roaming
07-18 13:50:12.765: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:50:13.465: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:50:18.775: I/WindowManager(98): Setting rotation to 3, animFlags=0
07-18 13:50:18.795: I/ActivityManager(98): Config changed: { scale=1.0 imsi=286/2 loc=en_US touch=3 keys=1/1/2 nav=3/1 orien=2 layout=34 uiMode=17 seq=34}
07-18 13:50:18.895: D/dalvikvm(169): GC_EXTERNAL_ALLOC freed 108K, 48% free 3253K/6215K, external 5172K/5180K, paused 37ms
07-18 13:50:21.005: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:50:21.265: D/dalvikvm(98): GC_EXPLICIT freed 394K, 42% free 6631K/11335K, external 4458K/5567K, paused 109ms

In the (2) case, the following log is spewed from Nexus One and as you can see, ends with an error (1, -2147483648):

07-18 13:47:03.595: D/MediaPlayer(10059): Couldn't open file on client side, trying server side
07-18 13:47:03.595: I/StagefrightPlayer(68): setDataSource('http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/cf-templates-k6ohn88yswx5-eu-west-1/videos/4ff4514444aec3d2f9f07ead/500416ea44aeb4b95d5ae8a0_hd.mp4')
07-18 13:47:03.605: I/NuHTTPDataSource(68): connect to s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com:80/cf-templates-k6ohn88yswx5-eu-west-1/videos/4ff4514444aec3d2f9f07ead/500416ea44aeb4b95d5ae8a0_hd.mp4 @0
07-18 13:47:03.625: I/ActivityManager(98): Displayed com.woisio/.video.VideoActivity: +505ms
07-18 13:47:05.355: I/OMXCodec(68): [OMX.qcom.video.decoder.avc] allocating 4 buffers of size 460800 on input port
07-18 13:47:05.355: I/OMXCodec(68): [OMX.qcom.video.decoder.avc] allocating 8 buffers of size 1382400 on output port
07-18 13:47:05.365: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:47:08.375: D/MediaPlayer(10059): getMetadata
07-18 13:47:08.745: D/dalvikvm(9925): GC_EXPLICIT freed 651K, 49% free 3275K/6407K, external 1625K/2137K, paused 68ms
07-18 13:47:09.205: I/3gw.Service(488): Mobile Network not connected - not roaming
07-18 13:47:11.565: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Cache full, done prefetching for now
07-18 13:47:12.095: I/NuCachedSource2(68): Keep alive
07-18 13:47:14.245: W/QCvdec(68): H264_Utils::check_header 
07-18 13:47:14.245: W/QCvdec(68): check_header: start code 33
07-18 13:47:14.245: W/QCvdec(68): H264_Utils::check_header 
07-18 13:47:14.245: W/QCvdec(68): check_header: start code 10
07-18 13:47:14.245: W/QCvdec(68): Parsing Error unsupported profile or level
07-18 13:47:14.245: W/QCvdec(68): ETB in Invalid State
07-18 13:47:14.245: E/OMXCodec(68): [OMX.qcom.video.decoder.avc] ERROR(0x8000100a, 0)
07-18 13:47:14.245: E/MediaPlayer(10059): error (1, -2147483648)
07-18 13:47:14.285: E/MediaPlayer(10059): Error (1,-2147483648)
07-18 13:47:14.285: D/VideoView(10059): Error: 1,-2147483648

From what I have read, the error (1, -2147483648) may correspond to unsupported codecs, corrupt metadata or incorrect file headers. If it is so, could you point me in the right direction as to use which codec? Thanks.

Answer 1

Just to clarify something for anyone reading this question based on the title.

When looking at the error value (1, -2147483648), the '1' value corresponds to the constant in MediaPlayer.MEDIA_ERROR_UNKNOWN.

-2147483648 corresponds to hexadecimal 0x80000000 which is defined as UNKNOWN_ERROR in frameworks/native/include/utils/Errors.h

This shows that the error's source is hard to pin down as it is quite a generic return value, thrown by codec and compatibility issues as mentioned above but also thread cancellations and several other types.

For your issue, I would recommend consulting the Android Supported Media Formats with compatible Android versions and see if the encoding type is the cause of your problem, but as mentioned above the Unknown Error response can be caused by a number of problems.