Create a Live Streaming APP for Android

Question

I am having quite a trouble lately.

I want to develop an Android App with a livestreaming embeded, but I just don't know how to start. I tried using an Webview with the livestreaming tag embeded, but it didn't work (most likely the stream is provided via Flash). I also tried to use a VideoView component but it also didn't work.

I know it's possible because those publishers have their own APP, but the format we are provided is usually Flash. Not a mobile friendly format.

Can someone, please, show me any idea on how to start or if there is some workaround?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT:

What I would like to do is, like, take this stream, for example: http://new.livestream.com/ATP/lexington2014court1 and show it inside my APP.

There is no general solution for this kind of question. It depends on the stream. Without any details on that, you won't receive any meaningful answer. — FD_, Jul 24 '14 at 17:04
I guess to create a streaming app you'll need to get familiar with RTP, SIP and related stuff. Take a look at this question http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7332532/creating-rtp-packets-from-android-camera-to-send — Droidman, Jul 24 '14 at 17:12
Sorry... Maybe I wanst't much clear.. what I would like to do would be like, take this stream http://new.livestream.com/ATP/lexington2014court1 and show it inside my APP. — priki, Jul 24 '14 at 19:16
Video [stream](http://livestream-f.akamaihd.net/i/exchange_3172596_7sV0MOVk_1@172139/master.m3u8?dw=100&__b__=728&hdnea=st=1406230613~exp=1406231513~acl=/i/exchange_3172596_7sV0MOVk_1@172139/*~hmac=dbbf55bdc2512f2fabfdde569ece9b8e2b7f93ca93c9645f55915633bc163d2d) from that site displays reasonably well in current mobile Chrome. My device is pretty slow and weak, but runs SlimKat. This may be important. — Alex Cohn, Jul 24 '14 at 19:42
@AlexCohn The link to the stream gives me an "Access Denied" page, both in my computer and my device... Livestream's stream doesn't work on my mobile's browsers but when I click it, I download some file and the video works... weird, huh? — priki, Jul 24 '14 at 20:30
@AlexCohn some file = master.m3u8. Sometimes it works... sometimes not.. — priki, Jul 24 '14 at 20:38

score 13 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:10

I think I did it!

First of all, I am indeed using the stream from livestream.com, but right now, they don't have a public API to the actual version, but.... I got a lot of help from here: new.livestream.com API to get RTSP

So, there is this API call http://new.livestream.com/api/accounts/[account_id]/events/[event_id]/viewing_info

which return us a JSON. Then, I take the "rtsp_url" value and put it into my VideoURI.

So here it goes my code: Please, replace "{VIDEO_RTSP_URL}" in the code below with the value of the "rtsp_url" from the JSON you got above.

MainActivity.java

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    VideoView videoView = (VideoView) findViewById(R.id.video);
    MediaController mediaController = new MediaController(this);
    mediaController.setAnchorView(videoView);
    mediaController.setMediaPlayer(videoView);

    Uri video = Uri.parse("{VIDEO_RTSP_URL}");
    videoView.setMediaController(mediaController);
    videoView.setVideoURI(video);
    videoView.start();      
}

activity_main.xml

<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:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    tools:context="com.fcl.videoplay.MainActivity" >

    <VideoView
        android:id="@+id/video"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true" />

</RelativeLayout>

Now, for some reason, the streaming is not working when I connect to the Wi-Fi, but it works when I am on 3G (I am testing on a real device. Not an emulator), but this is another topic

Overall, if you're using a streaming service, like Livestream.com, they might provide you something like this RTSP_URL via an API. You will likely just need to use it.

Create a Live Streaming APP for Android

1 Answers1

Linked